Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza
by panneler-san
Summary: Finding a mate was mainly for the entertainment of the court; his Lordship never imagined himself the most captive member of the audience. A story of drabbles.
1. Facade

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Facade

After Kouga and his wife marry she never sees them again. The jewel is gone and so is their common enemy. She thinks about it, and there's no reason to stay. She visits less often; it's been months since she's seen Inuyasha. Sango is expecting her and Miroku's second child, and through a stiff smile, she says, "You'll be here for the birth, won't you?"

Kagome's smile doesn't reach her eyes. "Of course," she lies.

The facade slips slowly from Sango's face, and she cries. She cradles her large belly in her arms. "I wish you could stay," she whispers.

A/N:

Next: Goodbyes


	2. Goodbyes

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Goodbyes

Miroku waits at the well when she arrives, an uncharacteristic somber look on his face. "So, that's it, then?" he asks.

She swallows and nods.

Miroku sighs. "I knew this day was coming. Sango, too. You hardly visit us anymore and you barely speak when you do."

She hangs her head. "I'm sorry, Miroku."

He manages a smile. "It's okay," he says, strained voice. "You're our best friend, Kagome. Go back to your time. Enjoy your life, fall in love. We'll miss you."

She hugs him, and he pats her back with shaky hands. "I'm afraid I'll come back," she admits into his shoulder.

"Then go," he urges. "Go now. I can't promise I won't try to make you stay."

A/N:

Previous: Facade

Next: Down


	3. Down

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Down

For a long, long while, she doesn't move. Tears stream down her face.

When was the last time she saw Shippou? Several weeks, not since her nineteenth birthday. And Inuyasha? Not for months and months. She should have said goodbye.

But there is nothing left in Feudal Japan for her, now.

She's made her decision.

It's an unceremonious end to their long friendship, but she never imagined it would be easy to part with the people she loves. There are no more words, no more hugs. She tears away from Miroku's arms and throws herself down the well. There's a pink flash of light and a wave of cold air that sweeps over her, and a second later she leaps through time.

A/N:

Previous: Goodbyes

Next: Arrival


	4. Arrival

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Arrival

Kagome blinks. "Huh?"

She turns to the opposite wall of the well, which is a blank stretch of wood.

"Where's the ladder?" she mutters. Turning in another circle does not make it appear. Kagome frowns; is Souta pulling a prank on her? "Souta!" she calls. Her voice echoes up the dark shaft and dissipates once it reaches the lid of sunlight. "Souta! This isn't funny!"

A shadow falls over the lip, obstructing her only view of the sky. She can't see the face; it's too bright around it. Kagome squints to see better.

"Souta?" she asks.

It isn't Souta.

A/N:

Previous: Down

Next: Beginnings


	5. Beginnings

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Beginnings

"Are you stuck down there?" a feminine voice calls out. "Do you need me to fetch someone?"

Kagome sighs. What a way to reunite with her friends, and much too soon. "There's a monk up there. His name is Miroku," she calls.

The voice says, "Monk?"

Embarrassed, she cries, "Never mind! I can climb out, it'll just take a minute…"

After many splinters wedge into her palms, Kagome pulls herself up into the sunlight. The Demoness that greets her leaves her speechless; tall, long blue-black hair, and piercing red eyes, she stands proudly in a very fine Kimono.

"Now then," the demoness purrs, letting a long nail gently scratch Kagome's cheek, "I have done something for you. What will you do for me?"

A/N:

Previous: Arrival

Next: Debt


	6. Debt

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Debt

Something is, obviously, not right. Kagome glances around; there's no trace of Kaede's village, no thousand-old God Tree, and no Miroku. Just a demoness and a well in the middle of the forest. Her head is spinning. The red-eyed demoness frowns. "Human," she snaps, "Did you not hear me? You are in my debt. What will you do to repay me for my kindness?"

"This is wrong," she says, taking a step toward where her home, or at least the village, should be. There's nothing but trees.

"Human."

A dangerous bout of _youki_ and miasma wash over her, and the demoness is suddenly before her, long claw-like nails dangerously close to her heart.

"When a debt is owed, it _must_ be paid. So," she whispers, "How will you pay?"

A/N:

Previous: Beginnings

Next: Connections


	7. Connections

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Connections

The demoness purrs, "I am Masu. Right-hand of the Lord of the West himself."

Kagome cries, "You are?!"

Masu's eyes narrow. "It surprises you so?"

The young woman sighs in relief. "Thank God, I was really starting to freak out! Look, I know his brother. I really need to find him! Can you tell him that something is wrong with the well? He'll understand what it means."

To her bewilderment, Masu throws back her head of impossibly long hair and laughs, loud and long. "You know his brother?" she giggles, "You, a mere human woman?"

Maybe something _was_ wrong with this picture. "Yes?" Kagome squeaks.

Masu smiles a terrible, bone-chilling smile. "Then wait here, little human," she urges, "And I will bring him to you. And after that," she adds before seemingly vanishing, "I will have your debt paid."

A/N:

Previous: Debt

Next: Trouble


	8. Trouble

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Trouble

With Masu gone, Kagome's sense of dread grows by the minute. Something is incredibly wrong; she's never known Lord Sesshomaru to need an assistant. He prefers his own strength to the strength of others, this she knows.

There's also the matter with the well and its surroundings; clearly, she jumped down and felt the pull of time and the warmth of magic, and yet how is she not back in Modern Tokyo? There's the fact that Kaede's Village and the God Tree are nowhere in sight, as well…

She decides to try again, just to make sure she isn't dreaming, and flips her legs over the side of the well, then drops down.

There's a sickening _crack_ and her ankle gives way. When two shadows appear at the top of the well, neither of which look like Inuyasha or Sesshomaru, she begins to panic.

"I'm in trouble," she whispers.

A/N:

Previous: Connections

Next: Stranger


	9. Stranger

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Stranger

"Why are you down again, girl?" Masu's voice calls out.

"Um!" Kagome cries, "I think there's been a mistake! I'm so sorry to have confused you, but I think I'll just be on my way!" As she moves to stand, her ankle screams in protest, and she winces. "Ouch…"

"Be on your way?" Masu says. "I do not think so, little human. You owe me a debt."

"You didn't even help me!" she cries. "I _climbed_ out!"

There's a _swoosh_ of fabric, a _tap_ of light feet, and a tall Demon lands spectacularly before her, his face framed by sharp, red stripes, his long white hair crafted into a long braid that cascades to his feet.

He regards her coolly. "Hnn. You are a stranger to me, woman. I know you not."

In a dizzying flash, the stranger scoops her up and jumps out of the well, taking care to avoid agitating her fast-swelling ankle. Masu waits at the top. She grins. "Now you _really_ owe me."

A/N:

Previous: Trouble

Next: Reconciliation


	10. Reconciliation

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Reconciliation

She wants to struggle out of his arms, but he doesn't move at all, and it's less awkward for her to just sit and wait.

Masu says happily, "You've injured yourself since I've left you, and thus now owe us for our services. Which, in turn, means you owe the Lord of the West. Do you still claim to know him?"

"I was mistaken," she says, worrying what plans Masu has in store for her. "What do you want me to do?"

Her red eyes lock onto the stranger's deep amber ones, and she smiles. "What do you think, Lord Uchihiko?"

His gaze meets with Kagome's, and he hums in deep thought. "Have her work under my Older Brother," he decides. "For our help, I think three months of service will suffice."

"Three months?!" she gasps.

Masu giggles. "Lord Uchi," she says, "am I right to think that this is the _help_ you've been searching for?"

He nods. "Hnn."

Kagome pales.

A/N:

Previous: Stranger

Next: Employer


	11. Employer

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Employer

"Er, first," Kagome chirps mildly, "Can you put me down?"

The tall demon grunts, and sets her on her good foot.

"Thanks…" she mutters. "Um, is there any way we could get those three months whittled down a bit?"

"No," Lord Uchihiko deadpans. "If you insist, you die."

She flinches. "What exactly do you want me to do?" she grudgingly asks.

"That," Masu rumbles, "will be detailed to you when we reach the palace. Before we can employ you, his Lordship, Inutaisho, needs to approve of you."

Kagome does a double take, the blood draining unnaturally fast from her face. "Did you say… Lord Taisho?"

A/N:

Previous: Reconciliation

Next: Stuck


	12. Stuck

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Stuck

She's stuck; she knows it. The well doesn't work, and her ankle suffered the consequences of trying again. Kagome is frightened, alone, doomed, and afraid. The last thing she needs is to be trapped in a world where Inuyasha can't save her.

Kagome stops.

Does she want him to save her? Their last meeting ended, unfortunately, with hard feelings and unkind words. She wants to leave the Feudal Era, not travel farther back into it. Inuyasha would laugh at her now, seeing her predicament. She pictures it in her mind, and wonders if this situation could possibly be worse than her having to admit that he was right.

Masu says, "Of course I said that. Lord Taisho. Have you lived in that well long, human?"

Nope.

This is definitely worse.

A/N:

Previous: Employer

Next: Loner


	13. Loner

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Loner

Inuyasha's father's home is magnificent – Kagome sees the tall, crystal-like palace from far away, and cannot close her mouth the whole time they move toward it. Impossibly tall steeples leer down at beautifully manicured gardens; trees and flowers line huge stone pathways that stretch in four different directions and disappear into the wood surrounding them.

She senses a massive amount of demon energy, and it makes her head spin. She isn't used to this much _youki_ in one place. The splendid structure is _almost_ enough to take her mind off the fact that, due to her injury, she's being carried in Lord Uchihiko's arms. He's unusually warm for a demon, and the close proximity with a strange man makes her blush.

"How many humans live here?" she cries over the roar of the wind.

"Including yourself," Uchihiko says, "One."

A/N:

Previous: Stuck

Next: Manners


	14. Manners

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Manners

They rush her to a room out of the way of most traffic. As they pass through the corridors and hallways, dozens of demons and demonesses stare. Kagome feels many eyes on her, and she wonders if it's because she's human or because she's in the arms of Lord Uchihiko.

Strange, she's never heard him mentioned before. Neither Inuyasha nor Lord Sesshomaru has alluded to the fact that they had an Uncle.

The room is small, sparsely decoured, and dark.

Masu steps forward. "You are about to meet the Lord of the West. You would do well to curb any desire to speak back, threaten, jeer, or question him. You must mind yourself. Are we clear?"

"So what _can_ I say?" she asks meekly.

"'Yes, Lord Taisho'," Uchihiko says.

A/N:

Previous: Loner

Next: Inutaisho


	15. Inutaisho

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Inutaisho

The Great Dog General has all the looks of Inuyasha, but the intimidation of Sesshomaru.

Kagome can't fathom how she came to be here. The whole thing is like a dream, and she keeps praying she wakes up. The next room has a low table and many cushioned seats. At the head sits the General himself, slightly tanned, with a single jagged blue stripe high on his cheekbones. His hair is pulled into a high ponytail, and he has the presence of a king.

"Brother," Uchihiko calls out, "I have brought you a new servant."

His golden eyes slide over her, and she suppresses a shiver. "And how is this human qualified for the task at hand?" he questions. She swallows.

"Qualified, Brother?" he repeats.

Ignoring him, Inutaisho asks her directly, "Are you qualified, human?"

She responds, "Yes, Lord Taisho,"

A/N:

Previous: Manners

Next: Unique


	16. Unique

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Unique

"Show me."

She's at a loss. She supposes she'll be a maid, or do some kind of housekeeping. Should she clean the floors, right here and now? Unsure of what, exactly, to show the father of her friend, she stands still, fiddling with the edge of her skirt.

His eyes narrow dangerously. "Well?"

"Lord Taisho," Masu cuts in, "Perhaps the girl's qualifications will be best discussed-"

"You've brought me a new servant without informing her of the situation?" he asks coolly, and the demoness pales.

"Lord Taisho-"

"Someone's coming," Kagome says. She feels the dangerous pull and lure of _youki_ swirling outside the door. It opens, and a red-haired demon pokes his head inside.

"General," he says, "Lady Bou is here." He leaves straight away.

Everyone seems surprised, but Inutaisho thoughtfully strokes his chin. "Your qualifications are..."

He pauses to think.

"…Unique."

A/N:

Previous: Inutaisho

Next: Debate


	17. Debate

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Debate

"Hardly impressive, though," Inutaisho follows. "Hasatsu tromps around like an elephant. Even _she_ could hear him from a mile away."

"For a human, Brother," Uchihiko interrupts, "The sounds of demon-kind must be difficult to read with weak ears? I believe something else at work, here."

Inutaisho flips his bare foot over his knee, and sighs. "So what are ya' sayin'?" His inflection reminds her strongly of someone she knows. "You think this wench can get the job done?"

"That does depend. If she cannot, we will simply dispose of her. How did you sense Hasatsu's presence, girl?"

They watch with expectant eyes.

"Um," she squeaks, "I don't mean to cause alarm, but truth be told… I'm somewhat of, uh, that is to say, I _can_ , sense demonic energy."

"That would make you-"

"A Miko," she supplies.

There's a long pause.

"Bullshit," he finishes.

A/N:

Previous: Unique

Next: Doubt


	18. Doubt

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Doubt

Bou is a beautiful Lion Demoness, and from what Kagome gathers, a very, very important Daiyoukai. She's armed to the teeth, with two attendants on either side. When she enters she bows, showing respect.

"General," she greets.

"My Lady," he returns. "I'd say I'm glad to see you, but I ain't."

"Now, now," the blonde demoness chides, "You'll make my job harder if you talk like that."

"Keh."

"Do you have the help I've asked for?" Bou continues.

"Right," he grunts. "This human," he points at her, "says she's a Miko. I say she's a liar."

"Interesting," Bou purrs.

"Excuse me," Kagome snaps, "I've been waiting and waiting because I would like to repay you for helping me out of the well, but no one has told me anything; what _exactly_ do you want me to do?"

A/N:

Previous: Debate

Next: Energy


	19. Energy

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Energy

Lady Bou deems it necessary to host a demonstration of Kagome's powers before they tell her anything. They assemble in a courtyard somewhere to the south of the palace with training dummies, targets, swords, and knives hung on weapon racks and strewn about the dirt.

"Take your weapon of choice," she says. "Prove to us that you are what you say. The penalty of lying, I'm sure you know, is death. So, impress me."

She chooses the bow and draws the string back, feeling the feathery ends on her fingertips. Her archery skills are rusty, but the energy within her will guarantee she hits her mark. Until she can figure out what's wrong with the well she needs to stay alive. She must be here for a reason. The well didn't lead her to Inuyasha by chance, and she doubts it has led her to his father on accident, either.

Kagome inhales slowly, holds her breath, and lets go.

A/N:

Previous: Doubt

Next: Proof


	20. Proof

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Proof

The arrow flies toward its mark in a surge of pink light, striking the target just off from the center, and the force of the impact quakes the earth. The trees are aquiver, and as the rumble dies, soft cherry blossoms float to the ground.

Triumph swelling in her breast, she turns to the silent audience. "So you know," she states, "I'm not _human_ or _girl_ , and I'm certainly not _wench_. My name is _Kagome_."

Lady Bou smiles, her arms crossed loosely over her chest. Masu and Uchihiko seem at a loss for words, and the silence is finally broken by Inutaisho's footsteps. He stops before her, toe to toe, towering over her. His impassive face splits into a grin.

"You are a dangerous woman," he growls. "You've proven your worth. I have need of your assistance, Kagome."

A/N:

Previous: Energy

Next: Art


	21. Art

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Art

"I'm sorry," Kagome interrupts, holding a hand in the air to halt the conversation, "You said you do _what_?"

"Matchmaking," Lady Bou repeats. "And, as it stands, the General's advisors have hired me to find him a mate. And _he_ has hired me-"

"To skip the terrible games and deceit that matchmaking entails," Inutaisho cuts in harshly. "Courtship is horrible – everyone knows the union is arranged, regardless of which demoness wins."

"General," Lady Bou chides gently, "Courtship is not to be viewed with so little appreciation – bringing two compatible souls together is an _art_."

He looks away. "Keh."

Kagome now understands where the well has brought her. She hasn't noticed because of the shock of the situation, but looking at Inutaisho now, he certainly doesn't look old enough to be a father. "So if I had to guess," she ventures, you'll want me to…speed things along?"

A/N:

Previous: Proof

Next: Stipulation


	22. Stipulation

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Stipulation

Lord Uchihiko, who has remained largely silent until this moment, speaks up. "My Brother wishes for you to choose his future mate."

She scratches her head. "Isn't that Lady Bou's job?"

"It would be, Miss Priestess, if not for the stipulation in my original contract to allow the General to choose his own bride."

"So why not just do that?" she asks. The whole thing is baffling. "I doubt I'll be able to choose a mate you'll like more than one you choose yourself, Lord Taisho. I don't know what qualities you find attractive, or what kind of woman you'll be drawn to." Although this isn't entirely true, she thinks it best not to mention it.

He looks at her as though she'd grown a second head. "Miko," he says, "Surely you don't think my future mate will be chosen because of love?"

A/N:

Previous: Art

Next: Epiphany


	23. Epiphany

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Epiphany

"You will pose as Brother's personal servant," Uchihiko says. "The suitors will undoubtedly try to impress you, as they will expect him to hear what you hear. You must see them for who they _really_ are."

"You have unique qualifications for this task," Lady Bou continues. "You have the ability to sense demonic energy, purify any wrongdoers, _and_ there is the human advantage you hold."

"Human advantage, My Lady?" she asks.

"You will be underestimated. That is perhaps your greatest boon."

She bites her lip; regardless of the suitors, if she wants the future to be the same Inutaisho will have to take Sesshomaru's mother as his mate, and eventually have Inuyasha with Izayoi. It seems a simple task: talk her up, make the match, and find out how to get back to Tokyo.

Then the realization hits her _hard_.

She has no idea who Sesshomaru's mother is.

A/N:

Previous: Stipulation

Next: Games


	24. Games

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Games

"So, er, how does the whole 'courtship' process work?" Kagome questions gingerly.

"It's no surprise that you don't know our ways, Kagome," Lady Bou says. "The process will be different for the General, because he is a highly sought-after mate, and a very powerful Daiyoukai. Unlike normal demon courtship, the General's will be more…" She pauses to find the right words, "… _manufactured_."

"They make it some kind of cheap contest," Inutaisho barks. "Bitches fall in line to impress, please, seduce, lie, and sabotage. Unions like mine are for the entertainment of my court. But _unlike_ my court, if I am forced to mate, I will mate with a demoness that is practical. Love doesn't matter to me, and the one who raises my pups should understand that."

Kagome goes red at his honesty. "So no games?"

Inutaisho growls, "No games."

"Is there a guest list?" she asks.

A/N:

Previous: Epiphany

Next: Restless


	25. Restless

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Restless

Kagome is given a small room with a warm bed, but she can't sleep no matter how she tries. The day has been long, frightening, and surreal.

She hardly believes it, but she's pinched herself at least a hundred times, so it must be true. Masu helped her bind her ankle but had left hours ago, and now she is here, clad in a sleeping _yutaka_ so tall, the fabric trails on the stone floor. Tomorrow she will be given details on the demonesses Lady Bou has chosen. Kagome sighs – her head is too muddled for her to sleep.

"I need air," she murmurs, and hops over to the door. She slides it open, and gasps. "Lord Uchihiko!" she cries. "Why are you still here?!"

Inutaisho's stony-faced brother says in monotone, "To ensure the impossibility of escape."

A/N:

Previous: Games

Next: Contract


	26. Contract

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Contract

The _yutaka_ begins slipping off one shoulder and Kagome hastily yanks it back up to her neck. She's red, but Uchihiko doesn't seem to notice, or perhaps he doesn't care. She clears her throat. "I'm not planning on leaving, Lord Uchihiko."

"Regardless of your intentions, Miss Kagome," he begins, "I will watch over you. I realize there is little for you to gain from this arrangement – and much to lose. That alone might cause you to leave, lest you _do_ lose."

"And if I choose to prematurely end our – er – contract, what exactly _will_ I lose?" she ventures.

He looks her straight in the eye and says with all the severity his monotone voice can muster, "Your life, of course."

A/N:

Previous: Restless

Next: Blame


	27. Blame

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Blame

"I detest this," Lord Taisho snaps over _sake_ , "And I resent you, too."

Masu smiles and leans against a shining suit of armor. "Touga," she says flatly, "Do you still think this my fault?"

"Of course," he supplies, and takes a large swig from his tiny cup. "If only you hadn't felt the need to oh-so subtly imply to my advisors how you worried for my lineage, they never would have contacted that ridiculous matchmaker."

"Still," she says sweetly, "You would have been forced to take a mate eventually. At least now you have _some_ say."

He snorts a laugh. "You talk as though you care about my happiness, Masu."

Her smile falters. "Of course I do," she whispers.

A/N:

Previous: Contract

Next: Unofficial


	28. Unofficial

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Unofficial

Kagome awakes to a light rap on her door. Her half-lidded eyes are dry, so she rubs them as she slowly climbs out of her futon. She's exhausted.

Opening the door reveals Lady Bou, made up much too finely for such a morning. "Come, Priestess," she urges. "We've little time to prepare for the feast. Dress and we will go."

Kagome pulls on her skirt and top from the day before and asks, "Feast? I thought this whole thing was about courtship?"

"Officially, it is a gathering of different clans, a festival of demon-kind and strength. Unofficially, it's so the General can find a mate."

She follows the demoness down the hallway at a sloppy pace, hoping on her good foot. "And, er, who besides us knows that?"

"Everyone," Lady Bou says.

A/N:

Previous: Blame

Next: Peacocks


	29. Peacocks

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Peacocks

"The Feast is in seven days' time," she explains. They've moved to a cozy room out of the way of most, but Lady Bou's attendants stand guard at the door. Kagome feels uncomfortable with the extra company, but says nothing. "It will end after two moons, and then an additional moon will be used to prepare for the wedding."

"That fast?" she asks, surprised.

She stares. "Do you wait longer in human courtship?"

"It depends on the couple," she explains, "But… To marry after just three months…?"

"Those are our ways," she affirms. "The demonesses know their time is limited. I would not be surprised if some resorted to dirty tricks to stand out. Expect a parade of peacocks."

Kagome swallows. "You picked them, didn't you?"

"Aye," she says. Her face splits into a secretive smile. "Would you like to know to whom I have sent an invitation?"

A/N:

Previous: Unofficial

Next: Roster


	30. Roster

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Roster

Demonesses from all over Japan and abroad will be at the Feast. Kagome has never seen such an extensive guest list, and though the names mean little to her, with each of Lady Bou's explanations she becomes more aware of the importance of this event.

"Wolf Clan from the Northern Mounts," she says, pointing at a name on the list. "Bear Clan from the Eastern Wood, Lion Clan from abroad – my people." She laughs. "Of course, _another_ eligible maiden will compete. After her we have a Dragon Clan visiting from very far away. All are Daiyoukai. All are considered acceptable matches."

They all seem so impressive, but Kagome's mind is reeling as she reads the list. "What about other Dog Clans?" she asks. "Surely some are coming…?"

Lady Bou is surprised, but the expression melts into her trademark smile. "But you _are_ a clever girl!"

A/N:

Previous: Peacocks

Next: Invitation


	31. Invitation

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Invitation

Lady Bou confides in Kagome, and the weight of her trust makes her feel very solemn. "Truth be told, Kagome," she begins, "I have invited certain guests that are _not_ Daiyoukai. A small group of Dog Demonesses is a part of that. Truthfully, while all these expected matches are girls from good families and wealthy clans, I hope that the General will make his own decision."

She smiles ruefully.

"He claims he doesn't care, but I believe no one is blind to love. Which brings me to another point."

"What?" she asks.

"Even though you aren't a suitor, and the girls will know you as his servant, there's a bit of Pack-Culture I should explain to you; _any_ unclaimed female is a threat to their chances. So," she warns, "Do not become close to him. For your safety."

Her mind is boggled. "I'm a potential…mate?"

Lady Bou giggles. "Consider this your invitation."

A/N:

Previous: Roster

Next: Kingdom


	32. Kingdom

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Kingdom

"Brother. I need to speak with you."

The great Dog General ignores him, and lets himself fly over the soil and rocks, a small cloud forming at his feet. It carries him up and up, until he reaches the top of the mighty mountain where he can see his whole kingdom below. He breathes in the fresh air.

Uchihiko lands gracefully beside him. "Are you done, brother?"

He exhales. "Did my running not clue you in?" he asks.

Uchihiko's lips ever-so-slightly turn downward. "Did my continued chase not clue _you_ in?"

"What do you want, Uchi?" he growls. "The Feast in in less than a week and I've got my mind on a thousand different things."

"Touga," he says, "Isn't it time you made a decision for yourself? This entire courtship process – why not allow yourself the luxury of choosing your partner? Despite what you may think, you deserve to be happy."

Inutaisho looks away. "Keh."

A/N:

Previous: Invitation

Next: Luncheon


	33. Luncheon

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Luncheon

They have lunch in the room near noon, and the spread is absolutely ineffable. Piles of roasts of all sorts, fruits and drinks and snacks, more side dishes and noodles and bowls of rice than Kagome has even seen in her life fill the entire table.

Her stomach rumbles.

"I'm starving," she realizes aloud. The last time she ate was breakfast with Sango and Miroku. It feels so far away. She glances gingerly at Lady Bou, who is staring at her happily, but has not touched the meal.

"My dear," she chuckles, "I'm impressed by your manners, but you needn't wait for me. Eat."

Kagome does so, gladly. She's quite famished, and the food is all _so good_. After she has her fill, Lady Bou snaps her fingers, and the attendants whisk the lunch away and return with tea.

A/N:

Previous: Kingdom

Next: Query


	34. Query

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Query

The taste of the mild plum tea settles the large meal in Kagome's belly, and the scent calms her.

Lady Bou, too, seems at ease in the afternoon haze. "We shall go over what duties the General's servants attend to later. Because you are the only human here, you may be…scrutinized," she says. "Demons still treat humans…unfairly. As the General's personal servant, you, however, will be respected."

Kagome nods. "I see. I'm not a stranger to being discriminated against because I'm human."

"Curious," she murmurs. "Most of your kind never come nearly as close to demons of the General's caliber as you have. You are quite strange, Kagome, with your Miko powers and your odd kimono…What village are you from, and are all the human girls in it as delightfully strange as you?"

A/N:

Previous: Luncheon

Next: Wanderlust


	35. Wanderlust

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Wanderlust

Kagome deflates. "Oh," she murmurs. "It's a long story."

Lady Bou's smile never wears thin. "I have an eternity, Miss Priestess."

She swallows. "I'm from very far away," she said. "So far you can't imagine it. But sometime around four years ago I came here. I made some friends, traveled around… We wandered all over Japan. There was a time I hated traveling and I just wanted to go home. Now, I'd give anything to wander again. There was a place I could always go to, though, to rest, to take a moment away from this world. From…" _From_ _Inuyasha._

The Lion Demoness seems to understand. "And where is this place now?" she asks gently.

She thinks of the sealed well, and her ankle pains her. "Gone. But I'm determined to get back to it."

A/N:

Previous: Query

Next: Proper


	36. Proper

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Proper

They finish their tea and Lady Bou whisks her away to a room deeper within the palace. It's lined with rows and rows of beautiful, shimmering fabrics, with every print, pattern, and color she can imagine. "What is this place?" she gasps.

"This is where you shall become a proper servant of the General," she says.

Kagome is measured and poked and prodded, and after a long while waiting a demon with crude shears tucked behind his pointy ear begins to fit fabric to her body. "Can't make the kimono too fine," he tells her. "But can't make it too bare either. You like green or pink?"

"Pink," she says.

When the kimono is done, Lady Bou nods her satisfaction. "All right, Kagome. It's time for you to work with the General."

A/N:

Previous: Wanderlust

Next: Advantage


	37. Advantage

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Advantage

She's nervous to spend time with Inutaisho. There's an unfair advantage she holds to knowing the demon's fate, and that alone is enough to make her feel too guilty to meet his eyes. Kagome doesn't wear kimonos often; she's more accustomed to her skirt and top. Thus, she shuffles awkwardly behind Lady Bou as she leads her through the garden.

They find Inutaisho observing the foliage accompanied by Lord Uchihiko, who catches sight of them, bows politely to the Lion Daiyoukai, and makes his retreat. "General," she announces, "I've brought you your spy. She's undercover and ready for your instruction."

Inutaisho's golden eyes observe her coolly, but he doesn't hold contact for long. "Very well. You may leave, my lady. I have need to speak with her."

A/N:

Previous: Proper

Next: Curious


	38. Curious

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Curious

"Lord Taisho," Kagome greets, and he waves her out of her bow.

"Kagome," he returns. "I admit I don't often work with humans, so forgive me of my ignorance. If you require anything that I am not providing, speak with Masu. As I've employed your services, I guarantee you that you will be well rewarded if your task is complete at the end of these three moons."

That sounds much nicer than losing her life, as Lord Uchihiko threatened the previous night. "I've gone over the guest list, and I've already found several demonesses that I'll keep my eye on," she says. The small fib makes her uncomfortable, but it's all for the future; she _must_ find Sesshomaru's mother. It's her only option.

Inutaisho nods. "I find myself curious about you, Miko," he says. "You are the woman whose hands my fate is in, after all."

A/N:

Previous: Advantage

Next: Unafraid


	39. Unafraid

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Unafraid

The late summer air is warm and humid, but it serves as a much-needed relief from the stuffy air of his home. Inutaisho watches Kagome with interest; her face seems to have turned a slight shade of pink, and he hears her heartbeat quicken.

"You're curious about _m-me_ , Lord Taisho?" she gasps.

"I am," he answers. "You seem to be unafraid of me and my court. I cannot decide if that is an effect of your status as a Miko or simply your personality. Are you blasé because you think yourself strong, or because you are foolish?"

"I guess," she says after a moment, "I'm just used to being around demons."

"'Used to'?" he repeats.

She smiles. "I'm no stranger to your kind. In this case, I think _I_ must be the strange one to _you_."

A/N:

Previous: Curious

Next: Language


	40. Language

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Language

She is right, of course. Inutaisho has seen humans before; smelled them, fought them, killed them. He's never spoken to one, though, much less a Miko. She seems much more comfortable in his presence than he feels in hers, and it agitates him.

She's curious.

Quite curious.

"A miko who spends time with demons instead of purifying them?" he asks. "An unusual prospect, indeed. How did you come to such an arrangement?"

She hums in thought, plucking a flower from a bush that lines the garden path, and he cannot help but think that she's chosen a Red Spider Lilly, which in the language of flowers implies she has parted with someone indefinitely. "Because of fate?" she says, and smiles through her sad eyes.

He stares.

A/N:

Previous: Unafraid

Next: Recommendation


	41. Recommendation

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Recommendation

It doesn't feel right to continue questioning, but her evasive answers only feed his thirst for information.

"Interesting." A pause passes between them.

"Oh, right!" she cries, clapping her hands. "Lord Taisho, I wanted to ask you about the feast! Lady Bou explained that there will be games, but what kind are they? How do they determine your mate?"

"They are challenges meant to test the skills of each demoness," he explains, and they begin a steady walk through the garden side-by-side. "Who wins is meant to catch my eye, but who is chosen will depend on your observations. Ideally, the demoness you choose will possess great skill, harbor no thirst for power, nor wish for my affection."

Kagome bites her lip. "You're really going to make your decision based on my recommendation?"

He nods thoughtfully. "Hnn. I plan to."

A/N:

Previous: Language

Next: Pink


	42. Pink

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Pink

"Powerful, but not power hungry. Lovely, but not in love with you. That's a tall order," she sighs. "Do you have any ideas for how to limit my search?"

"Several," he says. "Avoid the demonesses that talk too much. Avoid those who show off. Avoid those who speak of me as though I am a prize. Look to those who are strong and silent, who see practicality instead of impossibility, and whomever you think could be a good mother. I don't need to love my future mate, only tolerate her."

His demands are staggering and they perplex her; she really hopes that Sesshomaru's mother fulfills all his requirements. "I'll do my best," she says.

The breeze blows between them, and Kagome feels the weight of her _obi_.

"Pink suits you," Inutaisho says. "Join me for dinner tonight. We have much to cover in six days."

A/N:

Previous: Recommendation

Next: Incandescence


	43. Incandescence

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Incandescence

They dine in a different courtyard from the one she all but purified, this one more regal, elegant. There are no weapons, no training dummies, and no dirt. The floors are marble, plants hang from the edges, and tall torches light the darkened space with flickering incandescence. The moon is perhaps a few days away from being full, but its brightness lights the rest of the heavens anyway.

Inutaisho arrives to the meal in full armor, and Kagome notices the sheathed outlines of Testusaiga and Tenseiga at his hip. She stares for too long, and he grins when he catches her. "Perhaps during the feast you will have a chance to witness these," he tells her. "For now, sit. As your host, it would be rude if I did not feed you from the bounty of my afternoon hunt."

A/N:

Previous: Pink

Next: Bounty


	44. Bounty

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Bounty

"You hunted _all this_?" she gasps.

There's quail, chicken, squab, duck, pig, boar, cow, and a large variety of fish, and it all smells amazing. Her luncheon with Lady Bou pales mightily compared to this bounty. Inutaisho grins smugly. "Of course. As master of the palace, it is my duty to provide for all those who live in my care, court subjects and servants alike."

"There's _so much_ …" she murmurs. The fumes make her mouth water. "You hunt for your whole court?"

"I have fifty subjects and one-hundred servants. Not only is it the mark of a good leader, but I enjoy it, as well."

"Who taught you?" she asks.

"My father," he responds. "And I will teach my son in the future, and he will teach his."

She pauses to think. That explains Sesshomaru.

A/N:

Previous: Incandescence

Next: Rules


	45. Rules

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Rules

As they fill their bellies, Inutaisho talks. "It won't always be like this," he explains. "As my servant, and especially as a human, it is an insult to eat with your master. Today I allow it, but when the feast starts you will have to sit behind me and eat once the meal is done."

"Alright," she says. "Will I be able to talk to you?"

"Rarely," he says. "If I have need of you, I will initiate conversation. As my personal servant, it will be a great insult if you follow any other demons' orders. Speak little, listen well, and remember your objective." He adds as an afterthought, "If I seem upset with you, know it will only be for the illusion we must make. If the clans get wind of your true purpose, they'll accuse me of cheating."

"Is that bad?" she asks.

"Very," he affirms.

A/N:

Previous: Bounty

Next: Gentlemen


	46. Gentlemen

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Gentlemen

"The sleeping arrangements are tricky," Inutaisho explains between sips of warm _sake_. "Due to the volume of families attending the feast, it isn't practical to give each clan their own room. This makes it easier for you to observe the demonesses, however. We will separate them into dormitories, with all the ladies in one, and the gentlemen in the other."

"There will be gentlemen?" she asks, surprised.

"Of course," he growls. "While I have pick of any woman I wish, there are unbound males that will wish to find a mate as well. There are many eyes watching."

Kagome watches as he throws back another cup of _sake_ , and bites her lip.

He catches her eye and frowns. "You are troubled?"

"Just a little nervous. I hope I can represent you properly and not embarrass you. I know honor means everything."

"It does," he agrees, surprised. "Your concern is… flattering. Thank you, Kagome."

A/N:

Previous: Rules

Next: Refined


	47. Refined

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Refined

"Come," Inutaisho bids as the sky grows brighter with stars and the tea in her cup grows cold. "I will walk you to your room."

It's an awkward journey, to say the least. They stand one meter apart, and yet are somehow still too close. Kagome sneaks glances at him as they walk. He does look an awful lot like Inuyasha, his mannerisms too, but there's a certain refinement to the way he walks. She's reminded that Inutaisho may be Inuyasha's father, but unlike his son, he grew up in a palace. He's coarse, but refined.

It's a strange thought.

"What are you thinking?" he asks as they stroll.

"Oh," she says, "Not much."

Her answer perplexes him, but Inutaisho thinks better of asking again, and bids her a good night at her door.

A/N:

Previous: Gentlemen

Next: Inspiration


	48. Inspiration

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Inspiration

The following day she pulls on her new kimono, sloppily ties the _obi_ in a rough knot, and heads out in search of her employer. She has to practice her roll, so she begins by taking smaller steps and keeping her eyes on the ground. She finds Inutaisho in the garden again, alone this time.

 _What draws him here?_

"Kagome."

She bows. "Lord Taisho."

"Impressive," he says. "You've grasped the portrayal. Might I ask your inspiration?"

She turns pink. "Actually," she murmurs, "I did want to ask you something."

Intriguing. "Go on," he urges.

"I was really impressed by the meal yesterday, and it got me curious," she says. "If I do a good job at this undercover thing…can I watch you hunt sometime? I'd love to see it!"

He freezes. She has no idea what she asks.

A/N:

Previous: Refined

Next: Slander


	49. Slander

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Slander

"That is a wish I cannot grant," he says.

The girl is visibly deflated. "Why not?" she asks, then adds, "Is it not…proper?"

"It is much too dangerous," he says. "Not to mention that hunting is an extremely personal endeavor. The only soul that has seen me hunt is my blood. To take an unclaimed human female of servant status will produce rumors of a nature that could ruin any demon's name."

"I can handle myself," she sniffs.

"Did you not hear me?" Inutaisho cries in disbelief. "Not only is it dangerous, but your reputation would be slandered as a gold-digging human _whore_."

"I'm not useless in dangerous situations," she answers.

The Dog General's mouth hangs open. "I've understood many a demoness," he tells her. "I've looked into men's eyes on the battlefield and knew exactly what they were thinking. But Kagome, I _cannot_ figure you out."

A/N:

Previous: Inspiration

Next: Caged


	50. Caged

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Caged

He avoids her as best he can for the next five days. She follows him around the palace, staying three steps behind him and practicing her task. She's so dedicated to her role as his personal servant that it pisses him off.

He mumbles under his breath about thirst and she immediately reaches for more tea to pour into his cup. He wipes sweat from his brow and she reaches for the fan. He grumbles about misplaced personal effects, and she gently reminds him where he set them last.

He's angry. He's angry because she's actually better at this job than most of the attendants he's had in the past. He's angry because her reputation means so little to her. He's angry that, in only a few hours' time, he will meet his potential mates.

He's angry that he cannot be free.

A/N:

Previous: Slander

Next: Caravan


	51. Caravan

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Caravan

Kagome wakes early the first morning of the feast so she can stand on one of the many balconies and watch the parties arrive, but she finds she is too late; the caravans are already there, parked around the perimeter of the palace. She sees demons and demonesses enter through the front doors as attendants lead horses around the corner to Inutaisho's stables.

She has to admit that she's excited; Kagome figures Inuyasha won't care, if he even wants to speak to her, but she's sure that Lord Sesshomaru, at least, will be somewhat interested in the tale of how his parents met.

First, she reminds herself, she needs to be absolutely certain of who his mother is. There's no room for error in this equation, and Kagome focuses on the processions so hard, she hasn't noticed Inutaisho join her.

"The menagerie arrives," he says.

Kagome jumps.

A/N:

Previous: Caged

Next: Memory


	52. Memory

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Memory

"We will greet the guests at breakfast," he informs her.

Kagome frantically tries to calm her breathing. _My heart nearly jumped out of my chest!_

"I'm surprised to see you awake at this hour," he says. "Though I don't blame you. An event on this grand a scale happened one before in my lifetime that I recall; the day my mother gave birth to Uchihiko. I stood on this very balcony all night so I could see the caravans arrive. It was exciting. You, I imagine, are here for that same reason."

"What about you?" she asks, curious. "Did you come early to see them arrive?"

He stares into the distance. "I couldn't sleep."

A/N:

Previous: Caravan

Next: Elegance


	53. Elegance

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Elegance

On their way to breakfast, an older wolf demon stops them. "General Taisho," he rumbles deep in his throat, "It is an honor to finally see your home. My daughter, Tsubaki, is impressed with your western lands."

Tsubaki, an elegant brunette Daiyoukai, catches his eye and smiles shyly.

The father notices Kagome as she bows, and his face twists into a strained smile. "I see your _staff_ has been rearranged. Are _all_ your attendants busy today?" He lets out a booming, wolf-like laugh. "Though I suppose most human women are brainless enough that they make good slaves, eh?"

Kagome feels her face flush.

Inutaisho observes the older demon coolly. He does not laugh. "Some humans are most intelligent, Lord Atsukage" he responds calmly. "She is especially so, more than any help I've had from _northern_ regions in a millennium."

Atsukage's face turns red with anger.

Inutaisho turns on his heel with a _swish_ of _youki_. "Come along, Kagome."

A/N:

Previous: Memory

Next: Honor


	54. Honor

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Honor

"You defended me," Kagome says in awe once they are a sizable distance away.

"Keep your voice down," he growls. "I did not defend you; I defended myself. Atsukage's attack on my staff is an attack on me. The Lord of the Northern Mounts always fancied himself a more powerful force than he is. Keeping him in line will perhaps wipe that smug grin off of his ghastly face _and_ keep him from trying to force his horrible daughter into my house."

She smiles. He's so admirable, humble in his acts of heroism. "Thank you for defending yourself, Lord Taisho."

"I said I did it for _my own_ honor, Miko," he hisses.

"You did," she agrees, smiling secretively, "Thank you, anyway."

At a loss for words, Inutaisho bares his teeth and picks up his pace. " _Keh_."

A/N:

Previous: Elegance

Next: Hungry


	55. Hungry

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Hungry

Breakfast is intolerable. The food is delicious, but the atmosphere is suffocating.

Inutaisho unhappily greets guests, all showing off their daughters, and he can barely keep his eyes from rolling into his skull. The food is the only thing that offers him relief. Uchihiko sits on one arm and the Lady of the South on the other; she is a demoness he respects, but she too brings her marriageable daughter into conversation.

As breakfast drags on Kagome's kimono shifts, and he spares a glance.

She is intensely focused. Her eyes dart between demonesses, observing them, lips moving silently as she makes mental notes. She's taking her job seriously. Then, an unholy, offensive, and ludicrously boisterous gargling rises from her stomach.

She freezes, horrified, and every demon in the room stares.

Inutaisho tries – he really does. But he can't help himself.

He busts up.

A/N:

Previous: Honor

Next: Peculiar


	56. Peculiar

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Peculiar

She.

Is.

Mortified.

The morning meal has lasted over two hours, food smelling absolutely _divine_ , and the only way she can distract herself from the hunger is to desperately search for Sesshomaru's mother. The rumble of her protesting tummy is loud to even her ears, and she imagines if she hears it, all hundred-something guests have, too. Kagome panics, a deer in headlights, and is saved by a most peculiar event.

Inutaisho begins to giggle.

Giggles turn to chuckles, which turns to chortles that becomes full-on _convulsions_. The Lord of the West is _howling_ , and she doesn't know what to do. The velocity of his cackles brings others snickers, including Masu and Lady Bou, with Atsukage and Uchihiko being the only exceptions.

"Perhaps we have overstayed our welcome," Inutaisho wheezes. "Come, my esteemed guests; we shall retire and meet again tonight so that our hard-working attendants can have their fill!"

A/N:

Previous: Hungry

Next: Wish


	57. Wish

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Wish

"I embarrassed you," Kagome whispers once her belly is full and she's back at her employer's side.

"Nonsense," Inutaisho says. "I haven't laughed that hard in years. I was going crazy in that banquet hall; you brought me back from the brink."

Still, she's rather pink. "I'm sorry…" she mumbles.

"Don't be," he urges. "You are pretty straight-laced, Kagome, even for a human. You should learn to have fun, laugh at yourself."

She huffs indignantly, "I do know how to have fun!"

"Then drink with us tonight," he says. "On the first eve of a feast like this, everyone shares cups, even with servants. You will share a cup with me."

"Is that…proper?" she asks. "I don't know much about youkai culture, but wouldn't it be strange if I shared a drink with the most powerful demon in the court?"

Her unintended and innocent praise puffs him up, and he lets out a rare purr of pride. "I wish it," he rumbles.

A/N:

Previous: Peculiar

Next: Glory


	58. Glory

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Glory

Kagome has never had alcohol before, but she's determined to show Inutaisho that she's more than a stick in the mud. He greets her after the evening meal they had separately, and moved outside to the southern garden, where all the guests waited. Attendants from the kitchen she recognizes offer _sake_ to Daiyoukai, and in turn, they offer it to the attendants.

No one drinks.

The full moon shines above them.

"Friends," Inutaisho booms, "Esteemed guests. I hope your first day within my halls has been pleasant. I wish nothing more of the start of a long and prosperous feast than for my loved ones' bellies to be full, and their cups to run over. We drink as one, regardless of rank, united as demon-kind. For glory!"

They cry out, "For glory!", and drink.

Inutaisho refills his cup and gently places it in her hands. "Here," he says. "For glory, Kagome."

"For glory," she agrees, and nervously swallows her drink.

A/N:

Previous: Wish

Next: Howl


	59. Howl

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Howl

It's after she's had perhaps one too many sips and starts to feel dizzy that the howling begins.

It's light, airy, sad… Beautiful. She wants to ask what it is, but remembers through her haze that she's not allowed to talk to Inutaisho first. His golden eyes are on here, however, and he speaks. "It is a song," he tells her. "You might recognize the voice; it's Lady Tsubaki of the Northern Mounts."

"It's amazing," she whispers. "What is she singing?"

"An old ballad of wolves long ago, when there was no peace between clans. She sings of war, and leaving your loved ones. The pain of being separated from your mate."

"A sad song," she sighs. It's hot, even in the cool night air.

"A foolish song," he corrects, "But yes. It is sad."

A/N:

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Next: Tipsy


	60. Tipsy

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Tipsy

She's a little dizzy, and a tad unsteady on her feet. Inutaisho announces he will retire for the evening, and takes Kagome back to her room. Lady Tsubaki's song follows them. She feels a little delirious.

"I should have only allowed you one cup," the Lord of the West grumbles. "Keh."

Outside her room now, Kagome laughs. "You sound _just_ like him when you do that," she giggles. "It's so strange! But this song _is_ lovely…"

She takes his hand and spins gently around in a circle, turning it into a dance. "You are drunk," he informs her.

"Shh," she shushes, "It's just one dance. Now _you_ need to have fun!"

He frowns and spins her out, earning a gasp and another giggle. "Are you always this bad at dancing, even when sober?" he asks bitingly.

"I said hush," she urges, and places her head on his chest.

He stiffens.

They rock back and forth for a while, swaying to the rhythm of Lady Tsubaki's ballad, then she looks back up at him, and he stares.

The singing stops. His world stops. She tells him goodnight.

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Next: Complex


	61. Complex

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Complex

As he storms to his bath he can barely think.

A touch.

That was all it took. Now his chest is warm where she placed her head, and he feels her still. Inutaisho waves the attendants in his bath away, wishing to be alone. He strips quickly, mind in wraps, and sinks into the steamy waters. He exhales.

"This is insane," he mumbles, placing a hand over the warm spot on his chest. He feels his quickened heartbeat under his fingers. "Insane. Do not think, Touga."

The complexity of his emotions stills as he closes his eyes. The human's face is waiting for him in the darkness, and he allows himself to watch her in his mind's eye for a moment before banishing her. He cannot look.

"Do not think," he growls.

A/N:

Previous: Tipsy

Next: Demand


	62. Demand

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Demand

Kagome has little recollection of last night's events. The feast has begun, and it's time for her to work. She pulls on her pink kimono and goes to meet Inutaisho outside his room. Many are awake, greeting each other and making small talk, but as she walks by they whisper, stare, point. She hears one demoness whisper to another, "That's Lord Taisho's attendant."

"Lucky human," the other grumbles.

She's playing her role well, she thinks, and passes them by. Outside Inutaisho's room, she knocks twice. "Lord Taisho," she calls. "Breakfast will be served soon."

The door slides open almost instantly and Inutaisho stands tall, clad in full armor, twin swords at his hip. "I have one demand," he says immediately.

Taken aback, Kagome blinks. "What's that?"

"Never drink again."

A/N:

Previous: Complex

Next: Notes


	63. Notes

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Notes

Inutaisho refuses to elaborate, so Kagome is left wondering what she could have possibly done to upset him. The way Inutaisho is acting troubles her, but she has much more pressing matters to worry about. Her eye catches Lady Bou's at the table, and the lion demoness gives her a knowing smile. She nods in return and observes the crowd once again.

She's gotten to a small group of white-haired maidens at the opposite end of the banquet table when a small slip of rolled paper is pushed next to her hands, and her eyes meet Inutaisho's. He turns back to his conversation with his brother, and she quickly reads his note.

 _After this meal is over I would show you something._

A/N:

Previous: Demand

Next: Land


	64. Land

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Land

It's difficult to trek through the woodland underbrush in her shoes, but Inutaisho shows no signs of slowing for her.

"It is not far," he promises.

The rocky slope crumbles slightly, but she manages to struggle to the top, where a view of the palace from high up dazzles her. "Wow," she whispers.

"I wished to show you my world, Miko," he tells her. "From the horizon all the way to the other side of the sky; that's the land I am responsible for. The land I must protect."

"Why did you show _me_?"

The Lord of the West faces her and sinks to his knees, bowing in the most polite fashion she's ever witnessed, and it leaves her breathless. "I know what I ask is not easy," he breaths. "Please; find me a mate that will protect my kingdom as I do."

A/N:

Previous: Notes

Next: Crown


	65. Crown

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Crown

She's humbled.

Kagome feels as though she knows a side of the Lord of the West that no one talks about, and that no one knows, not even Lord Sesshomaru. His earnest request has sedated her, and as she approaches the ladies' quarters that afternoon, she vows to search diligently for his first mate.

She enters the common room and dozens of demonesses turns to her, staring. She stills her nervous heart.

"Ladies," she announces. "Lord Taisho requests the pleasure of your attendance this evening for tea, and has instructed that I tell you he will make an announcement at that time."

They all know what it means, of course; the first event, the start of the competition for the crown. The beginning of Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

While they chatter excitedly, a single white-haired dog demoness sitting in solitude catches her eye.

A/N:

Previous: Land

Next: Her


	66. Her

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Her

Kagome is _floored_ by how quickly they've dressed up; before they were in comfortable clothes, acceptable kimonos, but now the extravagance is blinding. Four ladies in particular are more eye-catching than before, and she remembers their names from the list.

First is Hisami, a bear demoness dressed in golden fabrics, the Lord of the East's daughter.

Second is Kyoko, a fierce dragon Daiyoukai dressed in twelve layers, the Lady of the South's daughter.

Next is Lady Tsubaki, dressed in a style that looks more like her father Atsukage's choice, than her own.

Lastly is the dog demoness from before. Kagome doesn't know her name, but can't stop staring; she's stunning, clad in a soft purple kimono that is simplistic but grand. Of all the demonesses in the room, she's the only one who stops her.

"Thank you for the invitation, Miss Kagome," she says.

She sits and waits for Inutaisho's arrival. Kagome is certain.

It's her.

A/N:

Previous: Crown

Next: Announcement


	67. Announcement

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Announcement

Inutaisho enters the courtyard and for a moment Kagome swears his eyes roll back, but then he's all smiles, and sits at the head of the table. Quietly, she takes her seat behind him and watches.

"Thank you for joining me tonight. I have news to give as Lord of this house, and I hope it brings you joy." The false happiness in his voice makes her cringe. "I will host a series of competitions and events, at the request of my advisors. The main winner of the competition will be given a prize, and will be known all across these lands."

They chatter excitedly, but he holds up a hand to still them.

"The first game," he says, "will take place in three days. It will test not just the warriors within you, but the lady as well." He says, "The demoness with the best Haiku will take the first round."

Kagome wonders if he's serious.

A/N:

Previous: Her

Next: Worry


	68. Worry

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Worry

" _Haikus_?" she drawls. "Really? _That's_ the best your advisors come up with?"

"Bite your tongue," he snaps as they walk about the deserted garden. "I don't know what you expect, but the ability to be careful with words is _very_ important."

"But _Haikus_? I'd have thought there would be sword fights and jumping contests."

He halts. " _Jumping_?"

"You know, to demonstrate strength?" she squeaks. "No?"

Inutaisho's head shakes. "You are bizarre, Kagome," he says. "I've never met anyone that thinks as you do. This competition is to see who has an equal balance of strength and poise; there will be sword fights in later weeks, if these bitches don't tear each other apart before we can arrange one."

"Have any caught your eye?" she asks, thinking of Sesshomaru's mother.

"None," he flatlines.

"Aren't you at all worried about the mother of your future pup?" she sighs.

Inutaisho looks her in the eyes. "I'm too busy worrying about you."

A/N:

Previous: Announcement

Next: Oops


	69. Oops

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Oops

Before her heart even has a chance to skip a beat Inutaisho sets the record straight.

"You're clumsy," he tells her. "Oblivious. A _horrible_ drunk-"

"What even _happened_ -?"

"-and to top it all off," he finishes, "you don't take care of yourself. How long have you been tromping about when your ankle isn't healed?"

A residual pang clenches her teeth. "I can't limp everywhere," she snaps. "How will it make you look if your personal servant is hoping on one foot wherever she goes?"

"It'll make me look worse when we have to amputate the foot!"

"Why would we ever even POSSIBLY need to amputate it?! It's sprained, not infected!"

"Perhaps a dumb human wench such as yourself cannot see, but from any educated person's standpoint, that ankle of yours is redder than a Fire-Rat's ass!"

"SIT BOY!" Kagome screeches, and she realizes the error of her ways as soon as she sees the look on Inutaisho's face.

Oops.

A/N:

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Next: Audacity


	70. Audacity

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Audacity

"Human."

His voice is cold. Kagome is frozen.

"What did you say?"

"I," she squeaks, "I am so… _so_ …sorry!"

"'Sit, boy'?" he repeats.

She's dead. This is it, the messy end. Should she scream out who Sesshomaru's mother is before he sinks his poison-tipped claws into her, or should she pray their match is fate, and that the timeline isn't royally screwed? Either way she's dead, and she waits for the blow.

Instead of killing her, he laughs. "I have NEVER _,"_ he wheezes, "Never in my long life _ever_ seen someone that had the audacity to yell at me like you have!"

She's white, but speaks with a twinge of hope. "You won't kill me?"

"No!" he howls, now desperately trying to catch his breath. "Not today! Ha ha! Not when you are the only person in this entire country that amuses me!" His laughs die, and he grins. "I wish to know more about you, Kagome. I've never wished that about anyone."

Deep inside her chest, her heart beats.

A/N:

Previous: Oops

Next: Lingers


	71. Lingers

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Lingers

There's something strange happening to him; he cannot decipher what. Kagome is _so_ funny – no youkai nor human has ever made him laugh the way she does, and despite his people's overwhelming opinions that creatures like her are lowly and stupid, he thinks otherwise.

At least, he doesn't believe Kagome is.

She's very much mad, that he knows. Any other being in her position that had treated him like a mere dog would have had their head removed from their necks, but through her he finds it humorous. He enjoys spending time with her, and for whatever reason, the warmth on his chest from where she placed her head still hasn't faded. It lingers.

Something strange is happening to him.

A/N:

Previous: Audacity

Next: Spontaneous


	72. Spontaneous

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Spontaneous

Lady Bou puts down her tea rather heavily and gasps out, "Goodness gracious, child! Have you never heard a haiku before?!"

Kagome purses her lips into a pout and says, "I have, My Lady. In human culture, we don't decide our mates based on poems."

They've joined Masu for tea in Lady Bou's private quarters the next afternoon while Inutaisho hunts. Masu grins. "Humans are such strange creatures," she purrs. "Haikus are much more than a _poem_. They are windows to your soul. Inutaisho's advisors chose the battle, but I know him well; he will be glad to hear his suitor's innermost thoughts."

"Still," she argues, "With two days to prepare, how manufactured will their 'innermost thoughts' truly be?"

"Dear, sweet, innocent Priestess," Lady Bou sighs. "The rules of _any_ haiku competition in court require the poems to be spontaneous. There will be no preparation; the General will choose a prompt, and it will be their job to answer."

A/N:

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Next: Obvious


	73. Obvious

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Obvious

Lady Bou stays in her room for the evening, but Masu walks with Kagome to the gardens where they expect the General's return from his hunt. Kagome wants to know how someone as beautiful as Masu ended up working here, but bites her tongue. It's not her business.

"The haikus will be improvised, then?" she asks instead.

"Oh yes," Masu nods. "I guarantee you, the bitches will expect a soft prompt like 'blossoms' or 'wind' or 'life', but Inutaisho will try to surprise them. He has much anger in him, Kagome."

"How will anyone be able to meet his expectations?" she asks.

"He doesn't want that," she tells her, gazing into the distance. "Lord Taisho's heart will be captured most by surprise. Sometimes the least obvious answer is the one you should embrace."

A/N:

Previous: Spontaneous

Next: Fate


	74. Fate

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Fate

Inutaisho approaches the two maidens warily. They seem to have just been in deep conversation, but stopped once he neared. Masu he understands; she's secretive by nature, and her damn smugness ticks him off. But Kagome?

"What?" he asks, deer slung over his shoulder.

"Nothing, My Lord," Masu says. "Would you be opposed to my company today instead of Miss Kagome's? She has…other duties to attend to."

He's suspicious. "Very well."

"Thank you," Kagome chirps.

"Kagome," he calls after her. "I would share an audience with you tomorrow morning. Before the competition."

She bows low, then heads in the direction of the ladies' dorm. Once she's away Masu says, "I don't what fate brought us together, Touga, but we're damn lucky it was _her_ at the bottom of that well."

He rumbles his agreement, and the edge of her pink kimono flips around the corner and out of sight.

A/N:

Previous: Obvious

Next: Momo


	75. Momo

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Momo

Kagome takes a deep breath in, then expires, trying to steady her heartbeat, and opens the sliding doors to the ladies' common room.

The dozen suitors stare back at her, and she lets a soft smile kiss her lips. "Good afternoon." She bows. "I hope your time here has been pleasant. Please excuse my intrusion."

Most go back to their chatter, shooting her suspicious glances. Lady Tsubaki meets her eyes, and they share a polite smile. Kagome feels like she is a very sweet girl, and would love to chat with her more, but she's on a mission. Sesshomaru's mother sits in the corner once again, silently.

"Excuse me," she murmurs, and the demoness blinks. "I would like to request an audience with you, Lady…?"

"Momo," she finishes. "To what pleasure do I owe an audience with General Taisho's personal attendant?"

A/N:

Previous: Fate

Next: Favored


	76. Favored

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Favored

Lady Momo is everything Kagome could have pictured in Sesshomaru's mother; she's beautiful, polite, and she has a feeling she won't bow to anyone; just like her son. She even _looks_ similar. Their jaws are symmetrical, their eyes the same shade of gold. They avoid the other demonesses and walk a little ways into the trees.

"Why have you called me?" Lady Momo asks.

"The competition is tomorrow evening. Do you feel ready?"

"You needn't worry for me, Miss Kagome," she says. "I've prepared my haiku, as the others have."

"I've heard the competition will be a little more… _improvised_ ," she says. "Maybe with some subject matter that will surprise you."

The Lady stops, gazing at Kagome with inquisitive eyes. "Am I to believe this means I am favored by the Lord of the West?"

"It means that the least obvious answer is sometimes the best choice," she hints.

A/N:

Previous: Momo

Next: Reward

Hello, all. A quick note: as an apology for not uploading yesterday, I will publish ten drabbles today. Thank you.


	77. Reward

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Reward

Kagome hopes she has done the right thing.

Inutaisho and Lady Momo _must_ be together, and she will do anything in her power to make it so. However, she knows that if she is caught rigging the system by either the competing suitors or Inutaisho, her life will be forfeit. Still, if she can make Lady Momo stand out even a little, she's certain everything will fall into place.

"Interesting," the demoness murmurs.

"I'm sure you're aware that my advice to you is a secret?" Kagome asks.

"Of course," she responds. "I wouldn't dream of giving up such an advantage. Especially since I am no Daiyoukai."

Kagome bows respectfully. "Thank you for your time, Lady Momo."

Before she leaves she pauses. "Kagome," she says, "I am no fool. If I become Inutaisho's mate, I will reward you generously for the help you have given me today."

"I need no reward, My Lady," she says. "Only your discretion."

She smiles. "Interesting," she says again.

A/N:

Previous: Favored

Next: Listen


	78. Listen

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Listen

"Touga? Are you ill?"

Inutaisho growls deeply. "Do not call me that, little brother. Not when there are listening ears."

Uchihiko and Masu share a glance. "Brother. What ails you? You are not yourself."

"The damn competition, Uchi," he hisses. "It starts tomorrow. You will understand when _you_ are forced to take a mate."

"Inutaisho," Masu cuts in, "I believe this is a time to celebrate, not despair. I realize you are hell-bent on our little spy being the deciding factor, but I'm sure she will not oppose if you choose someone for yourself. Why not truly listen tomorrow? Perhaps some of their responses will surprise you."

He looks away. "My freedom is being taken. Don't take my anger, too."

Masu watches him silently, sadly.

A/N:

Previous: Reward

Next: Ache


	79. Ache

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Ache

She feels the energy swirling in the air. There's so much _youki_ her head hurts. But she has a job, and even through her secret agenda, Kagome knows she must offer some truth, at least. If she focuses, the headache clears, and she can translate the energy she feels into words.

Even so…

 _This sucks._

"Kagome,"

Her eyes open; Inutaisho gazes back, brow furrowing.

"Are you well?"

The dinner with all hundred-something guests comes back into focus, and a single drop of sweat rolls down her neck. "I am, My Lord," she says. "Please excuse me." The roar of chatter does not die, and the conversation between Lady Kyoko and Lady Hisami is nothing more than a buzz. She was so close to actually hearing them…

"What are you doing?" he asks quietly.

"Nothing, My Lord," she whispers back, and ignores the ache in her head.

A/N:

Previous: Listen

Next: Booming


	80. Booming

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Booming

Lord Atsukage captures Inutaisho before he can leave with Lady Tsubaki in tow. "General!" he booms. "My Tsubaki has told me all about the series of competitions your advisors are setting up. We're quite excited!"

His booming voice makes Kagome wince; she's been listening too hard today, too focused on sensing the demonic energies.

"Tsubaki does quite well in the written arts," he brags, "I can almost guarantee you she will win tomorrow!"

Lady Tsubaki tugs gently at his sleeve. "Father, please…"

Inutaisho snorts. "That is to be seen tomorrow. As the competitions are open, even you can attend to see who truly wins, Lord Atsukage. Come, Kagome."

His face is blurry. She blinks; sways.

"Kagome?"

The sky is beautiful, and she closes her eyes.

" _Kagome_!"

A/N:

Previous: Ache

Next: Congratulations


	81. Congratulations

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Congratulations

Her eyes open, and Inutaisho stares back at her.

"My Lord?" she mumbles.

"You fool," he rumbles. "You fool."

Her head feels awful, and her whole body aches. They're in her room, and she slowly sits up. "How…?"

"Uchihiko carried you," he says. "You fainted."

"Oh God, I'm so sorry."

"Be better, not sorry," he hisses. "Did I not warn you about your ankle? Your foolish antics have landed you with an infection. Congratulations."

Her ankle, indeed, is now bright red, and hot to the touch. "Oh…I'm sorry."

He sighs and stands, reaching for the sword at his hip. "Do not move," he warns. Tenseiga slashes down in a shower of brilliant sparks, and the pain leaves almost immediately. "I don't use this sword for just anyone," he informs her. "Be grateful."

"But…" _I thought Tenseiga only brings back the dead!_

"There is much you don't know about me, Kagome," he says.

A/N:

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Next: Pouting


	82. Pouting

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Pouting

"I feel fine," she insists, pulling on her _geta_.

"I am uncomfortable letting you out," Inutaisho snaps.

"Why? You healed me completely!" She hops twice on her newly fixed foot to prove it. "See? All better!"

He growls. "You are the most insolent woman."

"The haikus are tonight," she says. "Don't you need me there to scout out the suitors?"

"I suppose," he grumbles, and Kagome smiles. He's pouting, just like Inuyasha. She would bet her left arm that if he had ears like his hanyou son, they would lie flat right now. Inutaisho asks, "The demonesses have been here for nearly a week now. Have you learned much about them? Do any in particular strike you?"

"I think," she responds thoughtfully, "we should see what happens tonight. Like you said, words are important."

A/N:

Previous: Congratulations

Next: Contestants


	83. Contestants

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Contestants

They converge in one of the courtyards when the stars hang in the sky. The first thing Kagome notices is the twelve tea-ceremony stations set up in the center of the stone.

"What's that?" she asks.

"Tea," he responds shortly.

"Are they supposed to do the tea ceremony _and_ improvise a haiku?"

He doesn't have time to answer; the audience starts pouring in, and Kagome has to take a seat behind Inutaisho. The contestants arrive. Lady Tsubaki enters and moves to the first station, followed by Lady Kyoko, Lady Hisami, the others, and finally Lady Momo. Their eyes meet; she nods. Kagome nods back.

"Take heart, Kagome," Inutaisho whispers. "There will be no rest for either of us when we begin."

A/N:

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Next: Unexpected


	84. Unexpected

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Unexpected

"My friends," Inutaisho greets once all has settled, "Welcome. Tonight marks the first of six competitions designed to showcase our talents as demon-kind. The entertainment is fun, as well."

The guests chuckle, and Kagome refrains from rolling her eyes. She knows how much Inutaisho hates this.

"Tonight is a battle of the written word," he says, "and there is a twist. A prompt will be given to each lady, and she will write the haiku on the spot."

The unexpected news shakes the audience; Kagome spies Lord Atsukage from across the courtyard, and his face is red with fury. She has no doubt he helped Lady Tsubaki write her now obsolete poem. Only Lady Momo sits unaffected, silent and proud.

"We will begin with Lady Tsubaki of the Northern Mounts," the General announces. "Lady Tsubaki. Your haiku will be about loss. We shall begin."

A/N:

Previous: Contestants

Next: Loss


	85. Loss

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Loss

Lady Tsubaki's tea ceremony is excellent; she has the time until she finishes making her cup to present the poem, but Kagome almost forgets entirely about it. She prepares the tea with such ease and care that it's mesmerizing. Once she is done, and the air is filled with the subtle scent of leaves, she takes her cup to Inutaisho and presents it to him.

" _On a rugged mount,_

 _a deserted pheasant sleeps._

 _I, too, sleep alone."_

It sounds familiar. Very. Kagome can't put her finger on it, but she's heard it somewhere before. No one else seems to share her concerns. It is poignant, that much is true. Inutaisho does not smile, but takes a long sip from his tea. "The next prompt for Lady Kyoko of the South," he says, "Is war."

A/N:

Previous: Unexpected

Next: War


	86. War

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

War

" _In Naniwa Bay_

 _I await the call of death_

 _Hell is all that's left."_

Kagome shudders with Lady Kyoko's words. Her tone is hard, cold. Truly the picture of war, of death. Inutaisho once again offers no critique, no feedback at all. He just quietly, thoughtfully, and calmly sips his tea. Lady Kyoko is fierce; dragon youkai are new to Kagome, but there's no denying her beauty. She had the markings of a Daiyoukai, along with six small stars on her forehead.

She looks like a princess.

"Lady Hisami will write of winter," Inutaisho announces, and she immediately begins her ceremony. The audience murmurs, and Kagome catches a guest whispering to their neighbor about the strange choice of prompts. Everything is negative, but Masu's words ring in her head, and Kagome trusts him.

He must have a plan.

A/N:

Previous: Loss

Next: Winter


	87. Winter

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Winter

Hisami seems very confident in her skills; she performs her tea ceremony so quickly that Kagome wonders if she needed any time to write her poem at all! In fact, it's brief, but she sees her eyes snake to her father in the audience, and a confident smile cross her face.

Kagome frowns.

Lady Hisami gives her tea, once again, to Inutaisho, who makes a face. He must be very sick of tea at this point, and there's nine demonesses left to go. The bear Daiyoukai closes her eyes and recites her creation.

" _When my guests leave me_

 _and the air grows ever cold_

 _the loneliness binds._ "

She's heard it before. She's definitely heard it before. But where?

Inutaisho announces the theme for the next suitor, but Kagome is lost in thought. Something is not right.

A/N:

Previous: War

Next: Death


	88. Death

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Death

There's a loud _clink_ as Inutaisho sets down his eleventh cup and Kagome snaps back to reality. His grimace tells her loud and clear that he's over this, and she worries. It's only the first event; how will he survive five more? "Lady Momo," he calls out, "Your prompt is death."

Lady Momo is very careful with her ceremony. She's very quiet, and doesn't rush. It's different from the others, and the atmosphere changes. She brings her cup to Inutaisho, but does not hand it to him. She takes a long sip, eyes shut, and sighs her haiku into the air.

" _Tatsuta River;_

 _Impassioned Gods, welcome me_

 _back to autumn nights."_

"Karuta," Kagome realizes. No one hears her; they're watching intensely. Lady Momo presents the half-dunk tea to the Lord of the West who takes it and, never moving his eyes from hers, moves the cup to his lips.

A/N:

Previous: Winter

Next: Judgement


	89. Judgement

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Judgement

Lady Bou, Lord Uchihiko, Inutaisho, and Kagome sit in a separate room as attendants provide the guests and contestants with snacks and conversation.

"I quite enjoyed Lady Tsubaki's translation of her prompt," Lady Bou says dreamily. "I thought the comparison to her loss and being forced to sleep alone was poignant."

"Just like the others, though," Inutaisho barks. "It was all depressing, dark, and dreary."

"What do you expect from the subject matter…?" Uchihiko mumbles. "Kagome, what did you think? You are our expert; give us your opinion."

"If you're asking me," she says shyly, "I thought of all, Lady Momo's haiku stood out the most. She took the darkest prompt of all, and made it…lovely." Daring to push her luck, she adds, "I think Lord Taisho, you enjoyed it, too."

He hums deep in thought. "It was the least obvious," he says, "and therefore the most interesting. I agree – Lady Momo's stood out."

Kagome hides her smile.

A/N:

Previous: Death

Next: Winner


	90. Winner

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Winner

"Lords and Ladies," Inutaisho booms, "I present you with the first winner of our maiden competition; Lady Momo!" Her eyes meet the newly crowned demoness's, and they both bow secretively. Through the celebration, Inutaisho takes her hand, puts a finger to his lips, and drags her away. They move outside the palace into the night.

"I was impressed with Momo's haiku," he says when they are far away. "It was like she saw exactly what I wanted."

Kagome clears her throat. "Is that so? I don't think the others are too happy about it. You know, because Lady Momo isn't Daiyoukai."

"It matters little to me." There's a pause. "…Are you cold?"

"No, thank you," she lies with a smile. The night air is breezy, and the garden offers peace. She wouldn't dream of taking Inutaisho away from his favorite place.

He eyes her. "Keh. Liar."

She finds his overcoat on her shoulders and warms instantly, cheeks heating up. "I said I'm fine…"

"You cannot fool me," he tells her. Their hands are still clasped, and Kagome moves to pull away in embarrassment. "Stay." He grips tighter.

She tries to find words, but his fingers over hers silences her.

"I wish it," he growls deeply.

A/N:

Previous: Judgement

Next: Watching


	91. Watching

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Watching

When she feels eyes on them she stops dead. "Do you feel that?"

Inutaisho is gone in an instant, and she barely manages to see the silvery ends of his hair before it wisps behind the trees off in the distance. She's alone, but if she focuses in, she can feel his _youki_ swirling just out of sight. And besides his, there is another.

Someone was watching them.

One grows fainter and fainter until it is gone, and at that moment Inutaisho leaps from a treetop back to her side. "Whoever they are," he growls, "They run fast."

"You didn't manage to see who it was?"

"No," he says, "But if they spy on us a second time they will not live to repeat their offence."

A/N:

Previous: Winner

Next: Fall


	92. Fall

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Fall

She accompanies him to his chambers in somber silence, but when she can bear it no longer she speaks. "Lord Taisho," she says, "Do you think something bad is going to happen?"

"Like what?"

"I don't know," she sighs. "Why would someone be spying on us like that? Do you think…something bad will come if they saw us…?"

"Saw us what?"

 _Holding hands._

Saying it aloud will make it more real, and she doesn't want that. So, she bites her tongue. Inutaisho frowns and says, "I am the lord of these lands, Kagome. The General of the collective demon armies. Even if someone had negative things to say against me, they would not dare."

She sees why Sesshomaru is still so angry with his father; the more admiration he had for him, the harder it was to accept his fall.

And yet…

A/N:

Previous: Watching

Next: Bake


	93. Bake

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Bake

She worries all night, and barely closes her eyes for a minute. The presence she felt was no friend – there was some malice behind the miasma. Kagome cannot sleep, and with so many thoughts running through her head she needs reprieve.

When she reaches the kitchen so she can bake her worried away, she finds she's not alone.

"Masu!" she says. "You're here?"

Masu is covered in splotches of soy sauce and smells strongly of burned fish. "I couldn't sleep," she says, and shakes crumbs from her black hair. "You too, Kagome?"

"Hmm," she confirms. "I didn't see you at the competition yesterday. Are you okay?"

Masu sighs, long and soft. "Yes, I am well. I would rather avoid these competitions for the time being."

"Is there a reason?" she asks.

"If the time comes, I will tell you." That's that. "Hand me the salt block, please, Kagome."

A/N:

Previous: Fall

Next: Golden


	94. Golden

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Golden

She forgets her own plans for cupcakes and instead helps Masu with breakfast. When the kitchen staff arrives several hours later they take over and shoo them both away.

"What will you and Lord Taisho be doing today?" Masu asks on their way back.

"He said he wants to hunt this morning, so I have until afternoon to myself. I think I'll do some research on our suitors. In fact-"

"Inutaisho's attendant. A word?"

She blinks. Before her is Lady Kyoko, golden hair lying neatly on her head. The ends barely graze her chin, and Kagome has a much better look at the six star markings on her forehead, framed by her short bangs. She looks serious; her thin brow is knit, and a frown graces her slight lips.

"Of course, Milady," she says, and bows.

The dragon Daiyoukai walks away briskly, and Kagome gives Masu one curious glance before following the short-haired woman down the corridor.

A/N:

Previous: Bake

Next: Threat


	95. Threat

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Threat

Kagome's nerves grow the farther away from the palace they walk. They move outside, past the garden, through the trees, and over what feels like miles and miles of underbrush until she has lost her breath. It's not until a small pond comes into view that she stops.

"Do you know why I have called you, human?" Kyoko asks quietly.

"No, Milady."

Her eyes and tone are sharp. "Do you think me a fool?"

"Milady?"

"I know of the advantage you awarded to that cur, Momo. For one that isn't even Daiyoukai, why would the Western Lord's attendant interfere with a perfectly fair competition?"

 _Crap_.

"I will spare your life, despite your insolence," she says, "If you award _me_ the same advantage." She points a long, painted claw at Kagome's heart and says, "Make me Inutaisho's mate, human, and I will not kill you."

A/N:

Previous: Golden

Next: Conflict


	96. Conflict

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Conflict

Despite the fear rising up her esophagus and tightening her throat, Kagome smiles.

 _This is not the time to panic._

"Lady Kyoko of the Dragon Clan," she begins softly, "I must admit I do not know what you mean."

"You don't _know_?" she says coolly.

"I have not awarded any unfair advantage to any of the demonesses present in court," she continues. "As Inutaisho's personal attendant, you see, it would be very unfit for me to speak about the competition without his knowledge or presence."

"If you insist," she hisses. "Still, my promise stands – help me to catch the Western Lord's interest, and I will spare you. If I even suspect you of working against me I will expose you, human."

The conflict burns her up, but for her imminent safety, she keeps smiling, and bows. "Your wish is my command, Milady."

 _I'm telling him about this the second he gets back._

A/N:

Previous: Threat

Next: Strategy


	97. Strategy

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Strategy

"That bitch," Inutaisho snarls.

"Shush!" Kagome urges, peeking around the otherwise empty bedroom. "What if someone hears you?"

"Keh, I couldn't care any less," he spits. "She has the audacity to come to _my_ house, threaten _my_ attendant, and all for _my_ hand?!"

"Brother," Uchihiko says, "You must be calm. Keep in mind that all these suitors are here for a purpose and one purpose only; to obtain your crown. Their strategies will be different. Some will try to win your heart, others your respect. Lady Kyoko has chosen to seek the advantage of having your servant under her thumb. I can guarantee you she will not be the last."

"What did you tell her?" he asks.

"I said I would do it," she explains. "She might have killed me otherwise!"

Inutaisho calms, and leans back against the wall of his room. "We must find some way to knock her off her perch," he growls.

A/N:

Previous: Conflict

Next: Solitude


	98. Solitude

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Solitude

Kyoko grows up in solitude.

Her father never offers her a kind word, and her mother refuses to so much as braid her hair. All for the sake of keeping up appearances as some of the last Dragon Daiyoukai. It's why she cuts her golden hair short, and her bangs even shorter. If she has to represent her people, she will do so without feeling.

She keeps the six faint green stars on her forehead visible; it's her source of power, of pride.

"You are useless to me, Kyoko," Lord Ryuujimaru rumbles solemnly.

"Father?" she whispers.

"In a moon we ride for General Taisho's court." He does not meet her eyes. "If you want to be remembered when you die, you will at least make an effort."

One moon later, she stands in the early morning mist in Inutaisho's garden looking for solitude. Instead she sees him.

 _Power will ensure that when I perish, I will not vanish._

He does not see her.

A/N:

Previous: Strategy

Next: Bodyguard


	99. Bodyguard

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Bodyguard

"Uchihiko," Inutaisho snaps, "In moments of my absence, you will protect Kagome."

His brow rises, but he says, "Yes, brother,"

"Wait, wait!" Kagome cries. "I don't need a bodyguard! Lord Taisho, did you forget why you hired me in the first place?"

"We did not hire you," Uchihiko corrects.

She ignores him. "I'm a Priestess! I can protect myself if I have to."

He looks her square in the eyes. He does not smile. "Kagome," he says, "No matter your spiritual powers as a Miko, you have never faced a foe like Kyoko. She is Dragon Daiyoukai; you may be able to wound her, but you would most certainly perish. I do not want you to die."

Uchihiko blinks. "We are in each other's care… Miss Kagome."

A/N:

Previous: Solitude

Next: Needlework


	100. Needlework

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Needlework

"I have an idea," Inutaisho whispers as they take his kills to the kitchen. Kagome is only given three small rabbits to hold while the General and Uchihiko carry great boars and stags. "Perfect for upsetting the balance out of Kyoko's favor."

"What is it?"

"The next competition has not been chosen," he says. "I can tell my advisors that something more…feminine will be a good choice. From what I hear, Lady Kyoko has done nothing but train in the art of swords since her childhood, rather than focus on more delicate charms. I believe she has very poor needlework skills."

She frowns. _Needlework_ …?

"It's decided!" he roars, and she jumps, dropping all three rabbits. "Next week's competition will be embroidery!"

"My Lord, no!" she and Uchihiko yell in tandem.

A/N:

Previous: Bodyguard

Next: Apple


	101. Apple

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Apple

"This is ridiculous," Uchihiko deadpans. "You are ridiculous."

"Why not embroidery?" Inutaisho asks defensively. "It's an overlooked skill that is taught to all young pups, but continued in practice by few. Based on my knowledge of Kyoko's skill, she'll fail. A little humility is good even in cases like this!"

"Don't you find this even the _tiniest_ bit sexist?" Kagome asks. "It's a competition between females, sure, but do all the events have to be geared toward your ideal housewife?"

"Bite your tongue, Kagome!" he gasps. "Perhaps _you_ are the sexist one, implying that embroidery is only for women! My late father himself taught me the art of needle and thread!"

She's much too shocked to respond, and looks to Uchihiko for conformation.

He avoids her eyes.

Inutaisho is just like Inuyasha; it continues to surprise her. The apple hasn't fallen very far from the tree, but even the ornery hanyou would be aghast at this incriminating knowledge.

"You _sew_?"

A/N:

Previous: Needlework

Next: Wool


	102. Wool

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Wool

"We must pull the wool over Kyoko's eyes, so to speak," Uchihiko says. "If that truly is your wish, brother."

"I wish it," he confirms. "Kagome, tell the dragon bitch that the next competition will be one of swords. She'll be happy to hear it, and I expect shattered when it turns out to be false."

"Is this really right?" she sighs.

"Trust me," he answers. "Nothing would make me more gleeful. I hear dragon Daiyoukai are particularly susceptible to their own pride. Have you not heard the rumor that Kyoko's hair is short because she doesn't even know how to braid it?"

"This is making me nervous," she admits. "But okay. The Western Lord wants what the Western Lord wants."

He rumbles, purrs. "Keh. You flatter me."

"That wasn't a complement…"

A/N:

Previous: Apple

Next: Escort


	103. Escort

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Escort

When Kagome arrives at the dorm before dinner, there's a coarse chill in the late summer air, and she suppresses a shiver. "Here we go!"

The doors open to Lady Tsubaki writing a letter at a table, but the absence of both women she had meant to talk to. Disheartened, she sighs.

"Miss Kagome?" Lady Tsubaki calls out, stuffing the letter out of sight. "Are you here to see someone?"

She smiles. "Yes. I'm looking for Lady Momo and Lady Kyoko. It seems they aren't in…"

"I can take you to them," she offers, standing. "Lady Momo, I don't know…But Lady Kyoko is out with Lady Hisami. Do you want an escort?"

"Thank you, yes," she says. "I just have some questions to ask them about their accommodations."

Tsubaki smiles, her long brown hair shining in the sunlight. Her blue eyes twinkle. "Follow me!"

A/N:

Previous: Wool

Next: Deepest


	104. Deepest

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Deepest

Lady Tsubaki is dressed in soft, colorful layers, the fabric billowing and flattering. She looks just like a princess, and Kagome can't help but stare.

"I wanted to apologize to you," she says as they make their way outdoors.

"Huh? Me?"

"Although it's late…I'm sorry for the way father treated you when we were first introduced. He's not a bad man," she says. "He's just… having a harder time adjusting to the changes in the younger generations."

"Oh," Kagome mutters. "I see."

"I want you to know, Miss Kagome, that I have different views than father, and I don't look down on humans. If Inutaisho has chosen you for a concubine there must be a reason-"

She chokes on her own spit. "I'm not his concubine!" she gasps after the coughing fit subsides.

Lady Tsubaki is confused. "But…Oh, oh…"

The wolf Daiyoukai flushes the deepest shade of red, and bends lightning fast into a ninety-degree bow. "I humbly apologize!" she shouts. "I just thought…with the way he looks at you…I'm so sorry!"

Both woman stand awkwardly, flushed to high hell, unsure of how to respond.

A/N:

Previous: Escort

Next: Hope


	105. Hope

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Hope

"It's fine, really," Kagome insists.

"I'm just so embarrassed," Tsubaki admits. They continue their path around the corner to the stables. "It was foolish of me to assume."

"Lord Atsukage must be pretty strict, huh? You apologize so sincerely."

"He is strict," she agrees quietly. "But father is a kind man. He seems harsh and perhaps rude and overbearing at times, but he wants what's best for me. That's why..." There's a pause. "Truthfully," she whispers, "Father is hoping Lord Taisho will choose me as his mate."

She says nothing.

"It would be good for our clan," she says. "If the Lords of the North and West joined, our combined forces would be amazing. He's hoping we mate by the end of the feast."

"And what are you hoping?" she asks.

Tsubaki smiles, and it does not reach her eyes; Kagome is reminded of her last moments with Sango. "If father is happy, I will do as he wishes."

A/N:

Previous: Deepest

Next: Stables


	106. Stables

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Stables

Kyoko and Hisami are caring for their clan's horses amidst the straw, dirt, and hay. With over fifteen visiting clans and at least four horses each for their caravans, there isn't an empty stall in sight.

It puzzles Kagome, but even in a dirty place like this, the suitors are dressed like they're going to battle; extravagant dyed and layered kimonos, soft white socks, tall, polished _geta_ , beautifully embroidered _obi_ 's. Hisami has styled her hair; instead of loose, straight hair, her chestnut-brown locks are curled neatly, and the three stripes on either side of her face that disappear down her neck stand out. She wears them, almost claw-like, as a badge of honor.

Kyoko walks up to Kagome, a glint in her eyes. "Have you come to resolve the problem, human?"

"Yes, My Lady," she says.

The demoness' eyes snake to their audience. She turns. "Come."

A/N:

Previous: Hope

Next: Informant

Sorry about Friday, folks; I was sick and needed rest.


	107. Informant

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Informant

"I have received word on the theme for next week's competition," she tells the silent and stony dragon. "I thought, given Milady's words with me this morning, you would like to know as soon as possible so you can prepare."

"I'm glad to see you value your life," Kyoko mumbles. "Speak. What will they have us do?"

"It was decided just after Lord Taisho came back from his morning hunt that a competition of swords will be next." Kagome hopes to God that her heart isn't beating completely out of her chest.

Kyoko stands a little taller and hums. "I see. Very well; we shall share more words later." She makes to leaves, and Kagome has to suppress her sigh of relief that she wasn't caught in her lie when the demoness pauses. "If you as much as look at Momo," she warns, "I will make good on my promise."

A/N:

Previous: Stables

Next: Clicks


	108. Clicks

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Clicks

For the rest of the week Kagome tries to meet with Momo one on one, but the dragon Daiyoukai is _always_ there; at meals she sits close, in the dorms she lingers, and out in the garden she walks nearby. Momo meets Kagome's eyes several times, curiosity shining in them, but she can't even get close.

With only two days left until the next competition, she's desperate. She arrives at the common room for one last try, and to her delight there is no Kyoko in sight. Lady Momo sits by Tsubaki; they are both working with a needle and thread. Her heart races as she paces over.

"Ladies, afternoon," she greets. "I see you're embroidering," she says lamely, with a hint of desperation. "That's a great way to prepare for the next completion, you know. A _great_ way!"

Tsubaki is confused, and Momo is quiet.

"You know," she says, looking Sesshomaru's mother right in the eyes, "Lord Taisho _loves_ embroidery."

Something clicks, and she smiles. "Does he, now?"

A/N:

Previous: Informant

Next: Longing


	109. Longing

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Longing

"You there, Hasatsu," Inutaisho calls as he approaches the red-haired demon in the courtyard. "Have you seen Kagome?"

"Last I saw she was headed toward the stables, My Lord," he says.

He thinks. "Thank you." Kagome is not in the stables. "Stable boy," he addresses the young Imp. "Kagome is here, yes?"

"She headed last toward the Garden, Lord Taisho."

"Amiya," he growls to the demoness tending the peonies, " _Please_ tell me that Kagome is here."

"She's left for the ladies' dormitory, Sire."

"I don't understand," Inutaisho hisses, tossing his swords onto his bed later that day. "How bloody hard is it to find one damn girl in this palace? She's not even a shadow; it shouldn't be so easy for her to blend in to the darkness!"

"You've been searching for her long, brother?" Uchihiko asks. "Why?"

His ears turn a little pink. "I wish to speak with her, is all." There's a pause. "I miss her."

A/N:

Previous: Clicks

Next: Embrace


	110. Embrace

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Embrace

When Kagome finally returns to Inutaisho's chambers at the end of her long search for Lady Momo, the man himself is pacing back and forth frantically. She stares. "Lord Taisho?"

He halts suddenly. "I haven't seen you all day." He adds, "Or all week. Where have you been?"

"Scouting," she says. "I thought you wanted me to keep a close eye on your suitors? You wouldn't _believe_ the things I've learned!"

"Scouting," he repeats.

She frowns. "Why?"

He strides forward, arms at the ready, and she begins flinching back, but he wraps her into a tight embrace. His nose nuzzles into her billowy black hair, and he inhales. _She smells of sunshine._

Kagome is frozen in his arms, unsure of what to do. He's gripping her so tightly she can barely breathe, and just as she goes to remove him, he speaks.

"The competition is the day after tomorrow," he whispers. "Please – let me hold you a moment longer."

She hesitates, touches his back, and returns the embrace.

A/N:

Previous: Longing

Next: Scent


	111. Scent

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Scent

Sweet.

Salty.

Floral…

Kagome smells of the great outdoors, dyed fabrics, and the products she cleans her skin with. He thinks, as strange as it sounds, she smells neither good nor bad – just interesting. A new smell starts to emerge from her, and it takes Inutaisho a long moment, but he realizes she now smells of _him_. His scent, intermingled with hers.

Her arms are warm, and she hugs him back.

"I want you to know," he whispers in her ear, "I truly consider you a friend." There's an unnaturally long pause, and he pulls gently away to see her face. It's twisted into an uncomfortable frown. He brushes some hair behind her ear. "Kagome?"

"Thank you," she responds distantly, "General."

A/N:

Previous: Embrace

Next: Unrequited


	112. Unrequited

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Unrequited

Bear Daiyoukai are close-knit; this much Hisami knows, even from a very young age.

"We mate our own kind," her mother informs her brusquely every time she gives the horse demon boy a pained glance.

The Lady of the Eastern Wood is painfully aware of just how easily she falls in love, time and time again. From the moment she comes of age to now, not a decade passes without some new crush, some new flame. Time and time again, they are not bears.

"We _mate_ our own _kind_ ," her mother reminds her stiffly as she looks longingly after the cat demon working in the kitchens. Determined to die alone, Hisami ignores all the suitors she sees. She knows as well as any. This "feast" is nothing more than a matchmaking game designed to showcase the Dog General's available mates. She refuses to be pulled in.

Until she sees his face.

A/N:

Previous: Scent

Next: Rivals


	113. Rivals

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Rivals

"He's very handsome, don't you think?" the bear demoness sighs dreamily, chatting with her instant-best friend, Kyoko.

Kyoko's left brow raises, wrinkling the stars on her forehead. "Whom?"

"Inutaisho, of course!" she giggles, playfully hitting her friend's shoulder. "His markings are simply exotic – I wonder if our children will favor more bear or dog marks?"

"You plan to mate him, then?" Kyoko asks nonchalantly, plucking a bee from a flower in the gardens surrounding the Western palace.

"I plan to try," she affirms, and touches her hair. "I had Reina do these curls. Don't you like them?" Kyoko shrugs. "I think I'm bound to stand out, now! she sighs. "I'm certain I took at least third in the haikus, so whatever this new challenge, I plan to win from here on out! Inutaisho and I will be mated in three moons. Isn't it lovely?"

Kyoko reaches out and gently flicks her friend's nose. "That makes us rivals, Hisa. Silly Hisa. Foolish Hisa."

Hisami rubs her nose, grinning. "Rivals!"

They lock pinkies.

A/N:

Previous: Unrequited

Next: Spools


	114. Spools

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Spools

Twelve hours remain until the challenge, and much preparation needs to be done. Kagome helps other attendants set up each embroidery station. They are indoors this time to ensure minimal distraction and little interference from natural elements like rain and wind.

Each of the twelve stations is supplied with spools of colorful silk from every spectrum of the rainbow. There are thick needles, thin needles, curved needles, knitting needles, everything she can imagine. "This is all so impressive," she says to Inutaisho who supervises the setup.

"Of course," he grunts. "Do you think embroidery is a game?"

She hides her smile. "No, Lord Taisho."

He opens his mouth, on the verge of saying something, anything, about their embrace. His lips slowly close, and he remains silent.

A/N:

Previous: Rivals

Next: Glare


	115. Glare

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Glare

Kagome is certain she will die today.

The look on Kyoko's face is murderous; the shimmering silk under the flamelight contrasts heavily to the death in the dragon Daiyoukai's eyes as she surveys her station. Clearly, she expected something else; she is dressed in armor with a sheathed sword at her hip. Kagome inches closer to her new protector. Uchihiko ignores her.

Tsubaki is confused, Momo is confident, but it's Lady Hisami whose eyes light up in excitement and mirth. Kagome wonders if her help to Sesshomaru's mother has come too late.

Inutaisho announces the competition to approving rumbles from mothers and fathers, and the suitors sit. "Ladies," he says, "You will be judged today on creativity as well as skill. Your theme is 'powerful memory'. You have two hours."

Kyoko shoots her a glare, and she pales.

"Begin."

A/N:

Previous: Spools

Next: Braids


	116. Braids

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Braids

As unprepared as Kyoko is for this challenge, she rises to it with a fighting spirit so intense and focused that Kagome is impressed. The judges, once again Inutaisho, Uchihiko, and Lady Bou, are allowed to walk from contestant to contestant to check up on their progress throughout the two hours.

Not a judge herself, she's grateful that, as Inutaisho's attendant, she gets to follow and sneak peeks at the work. There are many impressive shapes, colors, and themes, but it's Kyoko's that truly giver her pause.

She's depicting a scene of a small dragon demoness, half her hair in braids, the other half cut off at her chin. Even Kagome can tell that the technique is poor; there are knots and fraying threads, the proportions are off and cartoonish, but she cannot deny that the image is powerful, although she doesn't understand the context.

Then she remembers Inutaisho's words.

 _She doesn't even know how to braid her hair…_

A/N:

Previous: Glare

Next: Approval


	117. Approval

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Approval

Most of the demonesses are starting to form different flowers after the one-hour mark, and the level of uncreative plagiarism has very clearly displeased Inutaisho. Unfortunately, Lady Tsubaki is following the trend. Her color scheme is different, bluer, fewer reds, but the Dog General snorts through his nose as he passes by her.

Kagome bites her lip, anxious to see how Sesshomaru's mother is doing, but she is last in the queue. Next is Lady Hisami.

She almost gasps when she sees hers. _Forget a flower, Lady Hisami is embroidering a whole garden!_ The shape of a man is forming amid the peonies. Inutaisho lingers a moment, hums in approval, and Hisami's cheeks flush ever-so-slightly.

Kagome is excited to see Lady Momo's, but Inutaisho turns sharply on his heel and walks the other way.

A/N:

Previous: Braids

Next: Inspection


	118. Inspection

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Inspection

There's only ten minutes left, and Kyoko has been still for thirty. She's done, and judging by her expression, Kagome is certain she's lost this round. Inutaisho is pleased, and won't wipe the smug grin off his face. The only other demoness that is finished is Hisami; she proudly rewinds her silk and straightens out her needles while the others scramble.

Time is finally called, and in an instant both the pieces and the judges are whisked away.

"Incredible," Lady Bou gasps as she looks over them. "Absolutely marvelous; inspect this stitchwork. Isn't that lovely, Lord Uchihiko?"

"Hnn," he agrees.

"There certainly is a skill gap between the top and bottom sets," Inutaisho says. "It shows who cares for this art…and it reveals those who do not."

Kagome cranes her neck to see Momo's piece, and Uchihiko says, "What does our spy think?"

A/N:

Previous: Approval

Next: Rose


	119. Rose

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Rose

Kagome takes a closer look at the entries. "Lady Tsubaki added a moon and a single star," she remarks.

"Skillful but unoriginal," Inutaisho huffs.

She chooses not to comment on Kyoko's piece; the quality makes crowning her the winner impossible. Instead she looks at Hisami's finished piece and gasps. "Wow – she got so much done in only two hours!"

"Her garden is three times as much work as her opponents, _and_ she finished early," Lady Bou says. "My personal favorite of the bunch."

The figure in the garden now complete, Kagome blinks past the layers of flowers to see the finished product, and freezes.

"What's wrong?" Inutaisho asks.

"It's you," she whispers.

Hiding between bushes of camellias and sprigs of lavender, gazing at a singular, spectacular red rose is Inutaisho, stitched to the points of his blue stripes.

A/N:

Previous: Inspection

Next: Secrets


	120. Secrets

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Secrets

As hard as he tries to hide the fact that he's flattered, it seeps through.

"A powerful memory," he mumbles.

The garden depicted is the one he frequents most often. Kagome knows it, Uchihiko knows it, and Inutaisho knows it. Once again Kagome desires to know just what makes that spot important to him, but as he gazes at the silken stiches, she understands that there are some secrets she mustn't unearth. It's clear what Hisami's powerful memory is.

She gets a glance at Sesshomaru's mother's, and feels a duty to praise it in pursuit of her end goal. "Lady Momo's piece is also…lovely. I can tell she truly put her soul into the piece."

"Her eclipse is clever," Uchihiko agrees, "However…"

Inutaisho hums. "We have our winner."

A/N:

Previous: Rose

Next: Rising


	121. Rising

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Rising

It bothers her.

Perhaps more than it should.

Lady Hisami is announced the victor to polite applause, handshakes, bows, and compliments. Momo has taken second, Tsubaki fourth, and Kyoko last. The congratulations are dull to her; muffled, guarded. All she can think about is the finely stitched Dog General, gazing at a deep red rose. Something rises in her throat.

"I demand justice!"

Lady Kyoko's snarl grips her by the heart and drags her back to the present.

"What's this?" Inutaisho sniffs.

"Lord Taisho, your _attendant_ is not a judge, correct?" Kyoko silences the audience with her cries. "And yet you allow her into your chambers for the reckoning? An unmated, human bitch?"

"Choose your words in my house carefully, Lady Kyoko," he warns, "Or I will remove them from you."

A/N:

Previous: Secrets

Next: Justice


	122. Justice

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Justice

"I _demand_ justice," Kyoko insists. "A human cannot judge a competition for demon-kind."

Hisami reaches out to touch her friend's shoulder. "Kyoko-"

"What kind of justice do you crave?" Inutaisho spits. "You wish me to reconsider the competition you just lost? You want me to kill my servant to appease your whims? This is a friendly event, Lady Kyoko, for the entertainment of my guests. If you wish to withdraw, you may. Otherwise, what could you possible want from me?" Kagome feels eyes on her and squirms under their weight.

The crowd waits with bated breath as the dragon demoness thinks. Kyoko is angry, she finds her answer, raising one sharp, painted claw toward the human by the General's side.

"Initiate the girl into the games."

A/N:

Previous: Rising

Next: Initiate


	123. Initiate

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Initiate

Lord Atsukage is the first to stand and cry out, "Initiate the girl!" Next is the Lady of the South, followed by Hisami's mother and father. Before long many stand, chanting the words over and over again. She doesn't know what her joining the competition would mean to Kyoko, but she knows what it will mean for her mission. The thunderous chanting is joined by many and abstained by few; Tsubaki and Momo remain silent, as does Inutaisho and his brother.

She wants him to denounce them, wave them off, tell them it's his home. Their eyes meet, and for the first time she sees him not as Inuyasha's father, but as a king that will sacrifice himself for the good of his people.

"My Lords and Ladies," he announces gravely, "If it truly pleases you… then I renounce Kagome as my attendant. From today on she will join the games." He looks away as he finishes, "The people wish it; I am for the people."

A/N:

Previous: Justice

Next: Backbone


	124. Backbone

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Backbone

Masu bursts into Kagome's room without knocking and immediately flies into language concerning her employer so foul, Kagome turns bright red.

"That imbecile," she hisses. "That absolute, no-good, foolish, blind _bat_ of a man! He has no backbone! No honor! KAGOME!"

"Yes?!" she squeaks.

Masu draws her into a comforting hug. "Lady Bou told me what happened. I'm so sorry."

Her heart warms. "It's okay."

"No – I could have stopped him, I know it! My damn pride..."

Kagome shakes her head, pulling away. "This isn't your fault for not being there, Masu. I can still spy on the suitors like this; maybe even better than before!"

She grips her hand and whispers. "I would not blame you if you wish to leave."

"I'll stay," she says. "I truly do owe you. Besides," she adds cheerfully, "I have my own reasons for finishing this job."

A/N:

Previous: Initiate

Next: Unspoken


	125. Unspoken

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Unspoken

"You threw Kagome to the dogs," Uchihiko accuses coolly. "For a pissed off dragon."

"Keh," he spits back. They sit in the privacy of his chambers, alone. "You don't understand."

"I think it _you_ who does not understand, brother," the demon growls. "Does your mission and your partnership with Kagome mean nothing to you? This competition is not for humans. She will get hurt. Your desire to please has already hurt her."

"In case you've forgotten," he snaps, "Kagome is no ordinary human. She can hold her own if need be. And if she wants to leave, I'll…" He stops just short of _allow it_. Inutaisho swallows hard. "This is _her_ choice," he says. "Our relationship with the clans is too precious to jeopardize."

Uchihiko says sharply, "And I thought you actually cared for the girl," before leaving through the door.

Inutaisho's head drops to his hands.

Fall creeps into the night.

A/N:

Previous: Backbone

Next: Expedition


	126. Expedition

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Expedition

Kagome wakes to a gentle shake and the sight of Inutaisho putting his finger to his lips. It's dark out still. The palace sleeps. "General?" she whispers.

He helps her up and into her socks and shoes, reminding her to be silent the whole while. When Kagome is dressed he opens the curtain that blocks her small balcony and holds his hand out to her. She takes it, and mist begins to gather at her feet. The mist thickens, becomes a cloud, and lifts them tenderly into the air.

They fly through the night, away from the palace, over the trees, across great plains and villages, and finally land in a little clearing in the woods next to a deep well.

"Why did you take me here?" she asks.

A/N:

Previous: Unspoken

Next: Sapling


	127. Sapling

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Sapling

"In my desire to please my subjects and keep the peace," Inutaisho explains, "I have ignored your feelings, wishes, and wants. I am here to apologize." He reaches into his _yukata_ andwithdraws a small sapling, barely tall enough to tickle her toes. "My father taught me that when an apology needs sincerity to swear it upon nature. Nature is everlasting, unbreakable. I present you with my apology. Let us plant it together."

They move soil with their hands, lovingly place the sapling in the ground, and give it foundation.

"An old friend of mine, Bokuseno, gave me this seed from his own tree," he tells her as they pat the dirt around the base. His hand lands on hers, and after a long moment he still hasn't moved it. "He told me this tree will live to see times past my existence."

There's a pause, and it clicks in Kagome's head.

"Its name is Goshinboku; the thousand year-old God Tree."

A/N:

Previous: Expedition

Next: Kagome


	128. Kagome

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Kagome

"Why here?" she asks quietly as he holds her hand. They kneel in the dirt around the God Tree, the well not far off.

"Masu told me this is the area in which she found you," he says. "You were stuck in the well? What were you doing down there?"

She smiles faintly. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you."

He chuckles deeply. "This forest is your origin. I know nothing of your life before this place. I don't know where you were headed when Uchihiko and Masu scooped you up. I don't know who your father and mother are, if you have siblings, if you're a peasant or a Lord's daughter…"

She says nothing.

"I only know this," he finishes, "You are not _human_ , nor are you _girl_ , nor are you _wench_. You are _Kagome_."

A/N:

Previous: Sapling

Next: Closer


	129. Closer

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Closer

"I suppose," Inutaisho notes as the dark sky begins to twinge soft pinks and golds, "As little as I know of you, you know just as little of me."

Guilt grips her heart. His head rests against her shoulder, long hair tickling her collarbone.

"Perhaps it's better that way," he whispers. "Shortly after Uchihiko was born, my father took me on a hunting trip. We were gone for several weeks, immersed in nature, hidden from the world. Beyond the walls of my father's palace, I knew nothing. But on that trip he gave me the gift of words. He taught me that beauty lies in all things, living and dead, friend and fiend, truth and the unknown. He told me, 'Touga, you will fight many battles in your lifetime, slay many foes. But the greatest enemy you will ever face is yourself'."

A raindrop hits the skin on her neck, then another, but they do not fall from the sky.

"Kagome," he whispers thickly, "Have I become my own enemy?"

A/N:

Previous: Kagome

Next: Decision


	130. Decision

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Decision

"You are no enemy," she says. "You're a leader, a king. A General."

"Kagome…"

"You're going to have beautiful children who look up to you, fall in love with a wonderful woman, and live for what you believe in," she says. "I _promise_ you. Everybody loves you!"

His golden eyes smolder. "Even you?"

She stares; he's serious. Slowly, his hand caresses her cool cheek, thumb grazing her bottom lip, fingers tangling in wild hair. He's close, so close she can feel his breath on her skin, see the shimmer of tears, hear the drum of his heart. Their lips grow close, so, _so_ close, and she closes her eyes for the impact.

It never comes.

"This is the only way I can keep you safe."

His touch withdraws.

"Goodbye, Kagome."

He's gone by the time she opens her eyes.

A/N:

Previous: Closer

Next: Sunrise


	131. Sunrise

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Sunrise

The sun lights the tops of the mountains, showering the valley in golden beams, and the earth is warmer by it. Kagome feels cold. He's left a small bundle and the ghost of his touch. She chooses to examine the bundle. He's wrapped the sweater, skirt, and shoes she wore when they met in it, as well as several loaves of bread and a note.

 _Here are your personal effects. Masu returned to the well not long ago and found the necklace. We assumed it to be yours, so I've included it._

 _Go home._

The necklace is broken; several round beads slide off the cord and the ends are frayed, damaged. She slips the subjugation beads into her pocket. She has to go back. Kicking off her _geta_ , she slips on the worn sneakers, gathers her bundle, and turns west.

Goshinboku waits silently for the day she returns.

A/N:

Previous: Decision

Next: Tumble


	132. Tumble

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Tumble

The road is long and Kagome doesn't know her way.

"He could have left me a map. Jerk."

For the end of summer, the heat is unprecedented; she sweats under her kimono and is sorely tempted to change back into her clothes. Her hike has lasted half a day already, and she knows that Kyoko and Lord Atsukage will notice her absence and accuse Inutaisho of…well…

" _Something_ bad, surely," she huffs. "How far away is the palace, anyway?"

There's a rustle in the bushes next to her and she jumps. A man rolls out, screaming, changes directions, and straight into her. Together they tumble down the rocky hill, over sharp earth and steep drops until more bushes break their fall. He's on top of her, and she struggles to push him away. When she sees the stranger's face she stops.

"Miroku?!" she gasps.

A/N:

Previous: Sunrise

Next: Kaze


	133. Kaze

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Kaze

Miroku scratches his head as Kagome gapes. There's no way this is possible.

"Alas!" he cries, "Another fair maiden mistakes me for my grandfather! Only…Hm? You seem a little young to have known him when he was my age. Pardon my rudeness but, how old are you? Looks _can_ be deceiving, and I'm sure you'll forgive my hesitance…"

He's not Miroku. Kagome feels her heart sink. "Wait," she says, "Miroku is your grandfather?"

"The one and the same," he affirms, offering a hand. He helps her up. "How do you know him?"

Realizing what's happening, she violently waves her hands. "No, I don't! No, you look like someone else I know but definitely not him!"

"So you've never met my grandfather?" he asks slyly.

"Never," she agrees.

He clasps her hands tightly in his own. "Perfect! My name is Kaze, and I know we've only just met, but will you bear my children?"

Kagome slaps Kaze silly.

A/N:

Previous: Tumble

Next: Companion


	134. Companion

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Companion

"You are _quite_ the gem, Miss Higurashi," Kaze says happily as he nurses his red cheek, traveling a few feet behind her. "Quite a lovely woman, indeed. Why not become my travel companion? I can protect you from the dangers in this area."

"I can protect myself, thank you," she says stiffly, walking at breakneck speeds.

"Why, why not give me a chance?" he asks. "I'm a monk, dedicated to the progression of my spiritual powers. There are dangers in these parts you would tremble to behold, Kagome!"

Miroku's ancestor is relentless – much like Miroku himself. She's rather fond of his company, truth be told, but they simply cannot be near each other. She's already messed up the timeline enough as it is.

"Where are you going? I shall accompany you!"

"I'm heading to The Lord of the West's palace," she says, pausing to look him in the eye. "I'm accustomed to the dangers in these parts, so I've no need for you."

"My dear," Kaze says, pointing a tender finger back down the hill, "His Lord Inutaisho's palace is _that_ way."

A/N:

Previous: Kaze

Next: Ulterior


	135. Ulterior

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Ulterior

On one hand, he's a gentlemen. On the other, he's just as lecherous as Miroku.

"Hand," she snaps sharply as he helps her up the tall steps to a bridge. His palm slides from her bottom to her back.

"My mistake," he chuckles. "May I ask why you seek the Western Palace? It's quite a strange destination for a young lady of your… non-demon-ness."

"I need to finish something," she says, hiking up her kimono to get up the last step. "Why are you taking me there?"

"Besides the fact that you're the most beautiful woman I've seen in my life?" he laughs. "I have business there, too."

"How far away is it, anyway?" she groans once they're crossing the bridge.

"Just a week by foot," he says nonchalantly.

"A week?!"

"Why, yes,"

She grabs his hand, much to his bewilderment. "Kaze," she says, "Get me there in six days."

"What will you give me?" Kaze asks, bemused.

"Anything," she promises. "Please – I _have_ to be there in time."

A/N:

Previous: Companion

Next: Race


	136. Race

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Race

"To reach the Western Palace in six days we'll have no time for rest," Kaze says matter-of-factly as they pass a small village filled with laughing children. "It's a long walk, after all, and while I don't know your business I'd at least like to know your hurry! Why race there so quickly?"

"There's an event happening at the end of the week," she explains, smiling kindly at a little girl hiding behind the skirt of her mother.

"Oh, you mean the games for Inutaisho's hand?" Kaze asks.

She coughs loudly.

"Don't be so surprised," he chuckles. "Everyone from here to Okinawa knows about it. Believe it or not, his Lordship's engagement concerns us humans, too." Suddenly Kaze makes a beeline in the opposite direction.

"Where are you going?!" she cries. "I thought you said we didn't have time to rest?"

"Dear Kagome," he says, "It's getting late! We need a place to stay the night, don't we?"

She sees them – beautifully dressed women standing in front of an inn. She rolls her eyes.

A/N:

Previous: Ulterior

Next: Apposite


	137. Apposite

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Apposite

The evening is uneventful, her sleep restless. Once the dawn breaks, Kaze comes knocking at her door to rouse her from slumber. "Awaken, my angel," he says softly. "I said we'd only stay the night; there's still five days to get you there and I intend to make good on my promise."

They leave to an oddly large farewell; crying women bid Kaze farewell in the early haze, and the trek to the other mountain begins. Every time she glimpses Kaze's face, she sees Miroku. She remembers their goodbye, how unceremonious it was, and a pang smarts her heart.

"You're staring at me again," he says, bemused.

Kagome looks quickly away. "I'm not."

He chuckles deeply. "Do I remind you so much of this Miroku, Kagome? He must be special to you."

Her eyes fall to the ground. "He's a dear friend."

Warm fingers intertwine with hers; she's surprised, and finds Kaze looking steadfastly forward. "Tell me. I'll listen."

A/N:

Previous: Race

Next: Confidant


	138. Confidant

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Confidant

"Miroku and his wife are expecting their second child," she says quietly as Kaze holds her hand. "But I can never see them again."

"Why not, love?" he asks.

"I'm stuck," she says, a pained smile on her lips. "And I can't go home until I fix this. Come to think of it, it's been three weeks since I came here. She's probably already had the baby."

"I see," he says. "You can't face them because of extenuating circumstances." The rings on his staff clink together. "It must be painful to be far from those you love."

They come up to a fork in the road, and Kaze leads her gently to the left.

"So why leave in the first place?"

She's silent. After a long moment, Kaze gives up and releases her hand. She catches it. "I was too big a coward to face someone else. So much so that I gave up on them altogether, and I gave up on my friends. But I swear, Kaze, if I manage to find my way back, I'm not going to run anymore."

He nods gently into the wind. "That's my girl."

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Next: Offer


	139. Offer

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Offer

The day is long and Kaze is much better company than she initially gives him credit. He's perhaps a little… _grabby_ , but after the third or so slap he's learned his lesson, and much faster than Miroku ever did, she notes. Their second day of the journey ends with sore feet and blisters. Kaze makes a fire in a small cave as Kagome nurses her wounds.

"I used to be _so_ in shape!" she sighs, rubbing the soles of her feet. "I would walk twice as far without breaking so much as a sweat. Now look at me; I'm sweaty, covered in blisters, and out of breath."

"Recovering your past accomplishments only requires a little practice," Kaze says. "I'd love to say there's a hot spring nearby you could use to wash, but alas, these parts are barren of them."

"There's only four days left, anyway," she sighs. "Will we really get there on time?"

"Not a minute late," he promises, and pats his lap. "Come; I will allow you to rest on me."

She shakes her head. "Lecher," she accuses, and curls up the other way.

"Perhaps tomorrow night," he chuckles, and they slip into dreams.

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Next: Curse


	140. Curse

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Curse

The next day of travel slips quickly by, and it's only until they have three days left to reach the palace that she realizes something very important.

"My turn, dove," Kaze says as they enter a large forest. "Would you rather mother ten children or be wealthy?"

"Mother, I guess," she says. "Wealth means nothing if you have no one to share it with. My turn; would you rather give your child a unique name he may get made fun of for, or a boring name?"

"Easy," he says, grinning. "Unique. I myself have a very unique name. It gives me character, surrounds me in mystery. Before I was born my mother and father went to a fortune-teller to discover if my life would be prosperous or full of despair. Do you know what she said?"

"What?" she asks, bemused.

"She told them that the future of my descendants depends on the woman I marry. If I choose poorly, my great-great grandchildren are doomed to be cursed by the wind. If I choose well, we will be blessed by it. Whatever that means."

Her heart freezes.

"That's why they named me Kaze," he explains. "It means 'wind'."

A/N:

Previous: Offer

Next: Holy


	141. Holy

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Holy

"There, up ahead," he says, pointing a finger through the thick woods. "See that village? It's the last settlement from here to Lord Inutaisho's palace. If you want a bath, this is where we should stop for the night. A little bread for our minds and a little ale for our bellies."

After lying to the inn mistress about being newlyweds and getting their stay for half-price, Kaze joins Kagome in the room, carrying a bottle of _sake_ and a plate of chicken and rice cakes. "Drink!" he implores, "Eat! It's on me!"

She stares at the _sake_ , nigh angrily. "Never drink again," she mutters before seizing a cup and pouring herself a generous helping. He smiles, confused.

"You're certainly an interesting woman, Kagome, I'll give you that."

"And you're supposed to be a monk," she scoffs, downing the cup in one go and reaching for more. "Why lie and drink and pervert?"

"I may be a monk, but I never said I was holy," he says with a wink.

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Next: Cute


	142. Cute

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Cute

Round after round after round she downs. Kaze has never seen a woman drink so much in his life, and he has seen many a drunk lady. He knows he should stop her; tell her they can't order any more bottles, hide her cup, sober her with food and water…

But she's such a damn cute drunk.

"You," she slurs, patting his shoulder heavily, "Are my best friend. Like, my _best_."

"What an honor," he says.

"I like you, you know why?"

"Why's that?"

"You treat me like an adult – which I am. You respect my feelings as a person, and that makes you all right in my book!" Kagome takes another sip. "It's _so_ nice to hang out with someone who lets me do what I want, you know?"

He taps her nose. "I know."

Suddenly she leans in close – so close he can feel her breath on his ear.

"Can I tell you a secret?" she whispers.

A/N:

Previous: Holy

Next: _Kazaana_


	143. Kazaana

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

 _Kazaana_

"When I first saw you, I thought I was finally back," she admits. "I thought for just a second, 'I'm not alone'. Lord Taisho dismissed me without warning, so I was lost, afraid… But then I saw your face!"

"My Miroku face, right?" he asks, amused. "I'm glad I could provide you with some comfort."

She shakes her head. "You don't understand," she says. "It's more than just your face. You remind me so much of him, it's like he's here. Not too long after I met him," she whispers, "we were all afraid that we'd lose him… Me, Sango, Shippou, even Kirara! We were all _so_ afraid."

He listens.

"But then we won!" she sighs dreamily. "Naraku was gone, and he was safe. That's why, hearing the story of your name, I can't help but think about the Wind Tunnel. It must be so scary to-"

"I never told you," he interrupts.

She blinks. "What?"

"The curse," he says. "I never told you what it was called."

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Next: Unlikely


	144. Unlikely

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Unlikely

Kagome's eyes widen. "I-I'm sure you mentioned it."

"No," he says, reaching for his staff. "I told you my descendants might be cursed, not that the curse would be called the Wind Tunnel. How did you know?"

She's at a loss for words, trying to concentrate through her haze.

"I thought it seemed too good to be true," he sighs, backing away. "A beautiful young woman traveling alone is _so_ willing to be led by a strange man she barely knows? In this day and age? Unlikely."

"Kaze," she whispers.

"Did grandfather send you?" he asks. "It's just like him, really. He's done this before, you know; you're not the first woman that he's had approach me to make me feel better about cursing my descendants. Makes sense as to why I remind you _so_ strongly of this _Miroku_. I should have known, I-"

She places her hand on his arm, and his heart seizes when he sees her tears. "Kaze," she whispers, "Miroku is your future."

A/N:

Previous: _Kazaana_

Next: Story


	145. Story

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Story

She tells him everything.

Kaze is a little thunderstruck as to how such a grand story is possible, but Kagome's actions and words only make more sense the more he listens. She's from the future. She knows his descendant. He survives.

"That's why I feel so close to you," she whispers. "I never thought I'd meet you here, really. But you look so much like Miroku, and your personalities are _so_ similar." She sighs. "How could I not trust the family of a dear friend?"

Kaze thinks hard. "How can I know you're telling the truth?" he asks quietly.

"You can't," she sniffs, leaning her head against his shoulder. "I'm just glad I found you."

He trusts her. "Are you tired?" he whispers.

"I don't want to sleep," she answers.

"Then don't," he says. "I'll stay up with you."

He squeezes her hand.

A/N:

Previous: Unlikely

Next: Problematic

Hello, all. If you would like to receive update alerts, feel free to check the "Follow: Story" box underneath the large review box. You won't need to refresh the last chapter, and instead will get emails to notify you when a new drabble comes out. If you're already following the story, stay awesome ;)

Pantan


	146. Problematic

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Problematic

Still awake, Kagome extends a drunken invitation of dance.

"No, thank you," Kaze politely declines, but his eyes roam. "I enjoy watching your dance."

She's a little too dizzy to properly respond, but he secretly finds it very funny.

"What causes you to drink so?" he asks jokingly.

Her flushed face turns into a frown, and she flops down, her head landing in his lap. "Inuyasha," she whispers. His eyes notice the loose kimono that slides a little downward, exposing a smooth, soft shoulder. He swallows. "I feel so guilty, Kaze; it's eating me up."

He'd love to eat _her_ up.

"I really thought Inutaisho was going to kiss me," She shifts and her kimono slides down a little farther. His eyes bulge. "How could I possibly do that with his father-?"

He swipes his legs out from under her and leads her head gently to the tatami in one swift movement. "Time for bed," he says cheerfully. "I think we'll use a second room, after all. Goodnight, Kagome!"

This is problematic.

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Next: Misconstrue


	147. Misconstrue

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Misconstrue

"The final stretch!" Kaze cries. "Breathe in that mountain, morning air! Spit spot, love! Last push to the palace. Let's go!"

Kagome groans. "Can you lower your voice? It's so early…"

He quiets down; she must have a monster headache. He never imagined she would be so _flirty_ when drunk. Last night he was in a position to compromise his honor, and who was he without his honor? Thank _God_ she's sober now. "Say, what are you going to do once Inutaisho becomes betrothed to your friend's mother?" he asks out of curiosity.

"Gosh," she says, scratching her head. "I suppose try the well again, see if I can go back home. I'm sure Mama is worried sick. And I bet Inuyasha is looking for me…"

She never did tell him much about the half-demon. He doesn't wish to pry. Instead, he asks, "Why not stay here, marry me? I'd take excellent care of you."

Kagome laughs. "Thanks for trying to cheer me up. You're a good friend!"

He sighs.

A/N:

Previous: Problematic

Next: Mantra


	148. Mantra

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Mantra

Before they know it, there's only a day left on their journey. They stop in a little clearing to make dinner; Kagome adds the miso and dried fish they bought from the inn to make soup and adds a few fresh herbs growing on the mountainside.

Kaze is floored. "I can't believe you made this out of such meager ingredients!" he cries, spooning more into his bowl. "I don't even _want_ rice with a dish like this! You do honor to your craft!"

"You're exaggerating," she laughs. "Anyone can cook! I really wish I knew more about what _you_ do, Kaze. Miroku never talked too much about it."

He smirks. "Would you like a quick lesson?" He places his dinner down and takes her hands, positioning them carefully. " _Rin_ ," he says, and moves them again. " _Pyo_ , _To_ , _Sha_ , _Kai_ , _Jin_ , _Retsu_ , _Zai_ , _Zen_ …"

She watches in wonder.

"The Nine-Syllable Mantra," he says. "Do those once a day to calm your soul and call forth your hidden spiritual powers." He rubs her open palms. "Imagine the spiritual power-cooking duo we'd make if we were to marry," he says.

She grins. "We'd be best spirit-cooking friends!"

He sighs louder.

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Next: Borrow


	149. Borrow

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Borrow

She sleeps fretfully that evening; the stars are bright and the moon a little over half-full, bathing the clearing in crystal moonbeams. Kagome has come to realize an uncomfortable truth: Inutaisho sent her away. She is uncertain if he will welcome her return.

The night cares little of her wish for it to last forever, and sunrise graces the land before long. They pack up their belongings, and Kagome shivers. Summer is all but gone, clinging to the last bits of rays and warmth. Soon it will be fall.

"Take it," Kaze says, and she turns to see the coat he holds to her nose. "Come on – you're freezing."

"Aren't you cold?" she asks, pulling it over her shoulders.

"Nah." He winks. "You can borrow it. And Kagome?"

"Yes?"

"I'll be right next to you," he says. "Don't worry."

She smiles softly. "Thank you, Kaze."

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Previous: Mantra

Next: Return


	150. Return

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Return

The next competition is tomorrow.

Kagome is ready.

She's also terrified.

As they approach the looming shape of the palace she feels the energy of every demon present. It's overwhelming; even a week away and she's forgotten how stifling it is. She thrives on it, turning it to her advantage. The energy she has is pumping through her heart, heightening her senses.

Then she feels him.

At first he doesn't move. Then, his interest piques. His _youki_ moves quickly toward them, and she stands still, waiting for his arrival. Kaze reaches over and squeezes her hand. "You'll be fine," he mouths.

Inutaisho falls gracefully from the sky, his silvery hair flowing with his movements, and he lands gently upon the forest floor. Their eyes lock, her heart swells, and he paces forward, pulling her into a tight embrace. Her hand rips from Kaze's, but she barely notices.

It feels like an eternity, but finally, he speaks. "I told you to go home."

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Next: Without


	151. Without

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Without

The first day he spends without her is lonely.

He's tired; tired of dreamless sleep, of old scents, of sharp memories. He relives the moment he let her go over and over and over again, wondering what he should have done differently, wondering if he should have given in.

"You've taken Kagome away, General."

He looks away. "Keh."

Lady Bou is far too nosy for his liking, but he has no words to silence her. "Why?" she asks. "To protect her from Lady Kyoko? From Lord Atsukage?"

"Mind your place, woman," he growls. "You don't understand my reasons."

"Oh, I understand your reasons all too well, General," she says. "It is my job to provide you with potential mates. I am a matchmaker, after all. I helped your father mate your honorable mother, and in time, I will help your son find his mate."

She melts into the shadow of the garden, leaving him with one last thought.

"It's up to you to decide how to live without her."

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Next: Transparent


	152. Transparent

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Transparent

"Brother," Uchihiko says. "You are not yourself."

Inutaisho keeps to his calligraphy.

"The guests are starting to notice Kagome's absence. What do you intend to tell them when she does not arrive for the competition? I fear consequences. You know how quick Lord Atsukage is to battle."

"The decision to send her away is mine," he snaps. "Kagome is human; you tell me she will not survive the tasks and yet berate me for protecting her?"

He pauses. "You miss her."

He bares his teeth. "I swear on our father's grave, little brother," he growls, claws extending, "If you say one more word on the matter I will rip you limb from limb where you stand."

Uchihiko scoffs. "My Lord," he says, "You're not even fooling yourself. How do you expect to fool me?"

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Next: Pomp


	153. Pomp

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Pomp

Inutaisho has no response. He sits, brush dripping ink onto his parchment, ruining the calligraphy. Was he trying to fool himself?

Uchihiko lets out a rare sigh of frustration. "Listen to me, brother, and listen very carefully," he says. "The next game is scheduled in two days. You need to understand that this is _your_ decision; all this pomp and circumstance is for the entertainment of the court, but it is technically unofficial. If you wished, you could declare your intended mate tonight, right now, and some will rejoice, some will weep." He takes a breath. "But for every action, every choice, there is a price. So, answer me honestly. Do you love her?"

"I barely know her," he whispers.

"You don't need to know something to love it," Uchihiko responds.

A/N:

Previous: Transparent

Next: Unfamiliar


	154. Unfamiliar

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

NOTE: Some strong words in this one. Children be warned.

Unfamiliar

He's in the garden the next day when the wind carries her scent. He'd believe this is a dream, but he hasn't dreamed in so long. The scent is unmistakable; sweet, salty, floral. It's Kagome.

 _Do you love her?_

He doesn't know. He doesn't _care_. For the short time he has known her, she has become his dearest friend, and all he knows is that she's here, just beyond the trees. He leaps into the sky, following the trail of her smell. He falls gracefully through the pines, their eyes meeting. His court be damned; she's here, and he hugs her with all his might.

"I told you to go home," he says.

"You're not getting rid of me that easily," Kagome responds.

It's then he smells the other. Drawing quickly back, he notices several things; an unfamiliar purple coat wrapped around her shoulders, an unfamiliar staff, and an unfamiliar man. He's grinning stupidly, dressed in monk garbs, _drenched_ in Kagome's scent, and she in his.

Inutaisho towers over him.

"Who the fuck are _you_?"

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Next: Boils


	155. Boils

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Boils

"General, it is an honor," Kaze says, bowing deeply. "My name is Kaze. I am a local monk in these parts, and Miss Higurashi's guide."

The demon ignores him. "Kagome," he says, "You must understand that if you stay here, I cannot protect you during the competitions."

Kaze smiles stiffly. "Kagome certainly can protect herself, if need be," he says.

Inutaisho's eyes regard him coolly. "You have my thanks for escorting her here," he says. "You may take your leave."

"Oh, I'd like for Kaze to stay," Kagome chirps.

His head snaps toward her.

"He's a dear friend!"

Kaze brazenly throws an arm around her waist. "We're like an old married couple!"

His blood boils. "The competition is tomorrow," he spits. "I'm afraid you haven't had time to prepare. The others were told five days ago."

"I can handle it," she says, smiling. "What's the competition?"

He says, "Hunting. And it's to be a three-day affair."

The smile slips from her face. "Oh…"

"You start at dawn."

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Next: Dawn


	156. Dawn

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Dawn

Dawn arrives to many turning heads and whispers, pointing fingers, stares. The contestants have arrived in the northern garden just outside the trees, attendants at their sides. Kaze catches her eye and smiles, waving her over. "Good morning, dove," he says. "Are you ready?"

Before she responds three shadows loom over them. "Human, you're here." It's Kyoko, dressed in large furs. "We thought you dead."

"I was keeping to myself, Lady Kyoko," she says stiffly. "Good morning, Lady Hisami."

"Good morning, Miss Kagome," the bear Daiyoukai says, and points to the small demoness next to her. "This is Reina, my attendant. She's going to be my partner during this competition! Who is yours? I'm anxious to see how a human measures up!"

"Partner?" she asks, surprised.

"I will be escorting Miss Kagome the next three days," Kaze jumps in. "We're quite close!"

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Next: Hanzou


	157. Hanzou

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Hanzou

"Of course," Kaze continues, "With Daiyoukai as lovely as you around, even a monk of my valor will have a hard time concentrating!"

Hisami and Reina giggle, their curly hair bouncing with their movements.

Kagome fights rolling her eyes.

Kyoko says, "But little human, have you ever hunted before? It's dangerous out there beyond the trees. Be careful that you don't try taking kills beyond your skill level. It would be a _great_ shame if anything unfortunate were to happen to you."

The threat reads loud and clear. Kagome wishes to retaliate, but is interrupted by the arrival of Lady Tsubaki and a male wolf demon clad in armor in tow. "Miss Kagome!" she cries, clasping their hands together. "Where have you been this week? I tried to speak with Lord Inutaisho about having tea with you but he said you were busy!"

"I'm sorry, Lady Tsubaki," she apologizes. "Who is this? Your partner?"

Tsubaki smiles. "For the next three days, yes. His name is Hanzou."

Hanzou grins. "Charmed."

A/N:

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Next: Address


	158. Address

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Address

Curious, Kagome turns to the dragon. "Who is your partner, Lady Kyoko?"

"I see no reason to reveal it," she responds coolly. "I may not have won the two battles, but I fully intend to win the war; giving away my strategy is not part of my plan."

Tsubaki says, "I'm sure Kagome meant no harm. She's participating with us at your request, after all. Look, there's the General."

Inutaisho seems to have dressed down today, clad in a loose _yukata_ and without his swords. His address is brief. "Dear ladies," he announces, "This is the third of six contests you've indulged my court with. The rules are simple; Lady Bou and I will judge the quantity and quality of your kills. You are forbidden to harm your fellow contestants. We will be in the forest with you, in secret, to observe your skill in the field. If you do not return to this garden at sunset on the third day you will be disqualified from the competition entirely." He grins. "So don't get lost."

A/N:

Previous: Hanzou

Next: First


	159. First

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

First

"Watching in secret?" she sighs as she and Kaze enter the forest yet again. "We just got out of these woods and now we're back and we're being _watched_?"

"I doubt it's truly to assess the fair play of the game, love," Kaze says, stepping over a large root and placing his hand gently on her waist. "Careful."

"Thanks. But if so, why do you think he's out here?"

"Probably to keep an eye on me," he grumbles under his breath.

Kagome blinks. "What?"

"To make sure you stay safe from Kyoko, I'm sure," he supplies happily. "Here – you're at somewhat of a disadvantage, given you're a human, so I've picked something up that I _think_ will be helpful."

"A bow!" she cries, taking it from his hands. "Kaze, thank you! Were you hiding this under your robes the whole time?"

"I require no reward, though if you insist then a quick kiss on the cheek will-"

"Look, a bird! This is perfect, let's collect our first kill!"

Kaze sighs.

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Next: Savage


	160. Savage

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Savage

Kagome and Kaze spy Lady Tsubaki's brunette head through the leaves a little over an hour into the game, and pop over to say hello.

"Kagome!" Tsubaki brightens up, standing from her seat next to Hanzou on a fallen tree and rushing over. "I'm pleased to see you! I wasn't sure if we'd get a chance to see each other during the next three days."

"I'm pleased as well!" she chirps. "It's good to see you. Are you making a lot of kills?"

"Oh, mostly Lord Hanzou," she says. "I'm not much for hunting, but he's quite good. I was rather glad we were allowed to bring partners this time around!"

She glances at Hanzou, who is shaking hands with Kaze. "It must be nice to have a member of your clan helping you."

"He's in a rival clan, actually," Tsubaki says. "Father wasn't too happy when I announced him my partner…He thinks them a savage pack, truth be told."

"I see," she says. "Still, Lord Hanzou is Daiyoukai! Why does he dislike him?"

The man himself approaches, and they quiet. "It's a pleasure to finally be introduced, Miss Kagome," he says. "Lady Tsubaki has told me much of her friendship with you. Perhaps you and Kaze would accompany us for this first day?"

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	161. Dew

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Dew

"I can't believe you've hunted this much in only the first hour!" Kagome gasps, looking down on Tsubaki and Hanzou's small pile of birds, bunnies, and beasts. Hanzou seems to flex at the praise.

"I'm doing my best to teach Milady as well," he says. "She's a delicate bird; tutored in the arts of poetry and calligraphy, but I imagine Lord Atsukage has sheltered her from much of the real world."

"He certainly seems the type, huh?" she agrees nervously. "She mentioned he isn't too fond of…your alliance."

He brushes some morning dew off his armor and grins. "The Lord of the North is stubborn. Milady and I are friends; he thinks that vile. In my eyes, even a cultured Daiyoukai Lord can be more savage than a small pack living in caves. I like you, human. You're a good friend to her."

"Kagome!" Tsubaki calls from beyond the woods, waving happily. "Kaze and I have found some game! This is your chance to catch it!"

She smiles. "She's a good friend to me, too."

A/N:

Previous: Savage

Next: Bowwoman


	162. Bowwoman

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Bowwoman

Kagome has shot things before, and increased her skill with a bow and arrow long before this competition, but she has to admit she's a little rusty. After half a day has passed she has caught two birds, a mink, and a small deer. The latter nearly broke her heart, and her three confused companions consoled her as best they could.

"It's just a deer," Hanzou grumbles.

It's obvious to her early on that it will take a miracle for her to win; Hanzou and Tsubaki's pile continues to grow and grow. Kaze realizes it, too.

"You probably won't win, dove," he says as they move farther into the trees. "You're an excellent bowwoman, but I'm not sure you have it in you to kill living things."

"I can do it," she snaps back. "It's just different…when they haven't harmed you."

He watches the pain in her eyes and walks on, choosing not to ask.

He has secrets he'd rather keep hidden, too.

A/N:

Previous: Dew

Next: Second


	163. Second

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Second

Early the next morning, Lady Tsubaki bids Kagome farewell and then they part ways. It's the second day of the hunt.

"Let's try upstream," Kaze suggests. "If nothing else, we can fish and trap for the next two days. There's usually game coming down the mountain this time of year anyway; we're bound to run into some."

Upstream they go, Kagome's sneakers slipping from mossy rocks. She stumbles a little over a large one, and Kaze's gentle hands steady her.

"Careful, love," he says with a wink. "If you keep falling into my arms I may begin to think it's intentional."

Kagome laughs. "You're so alike!" she giggles.

"To whom?" he asks with a smile, helping her back to her feet.

"Miroku," she says. "Nearly identical in mind and body! It's like you're the same person, which is why I think I trust you so much. He was such a good friend to me."

His smile slowly ebbs. "Miroku, huh?"

A/N:

Previous: Bowwoman

Next: Delusions


	164. Delusions

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Delusions

Along the path the trees thin, the grass turns to rock, and the stream widens. There's a cave up ahead that Kaze points out would be a good place to take shelter from the drizzle, so they move into it.

It's dry, warm, and perfect for the brewing storm. In fact, they find themselves not alone.

"Lady Hisami, Lady Reina?" Kaze asks as the two demonesses come into view.

They both scramble to their feet, frightened, then relax once they see their company. "Lord Kaze!" Hisami calls out.

"Are you hurt, My Lady?" he asks, and Kagome tries to contemplate where 'Lord Kaze' came from.

"Milady is taking shelter from the rain," Reina explains, short curly hair wet yet bouncy. "As her attendant I cannot allow her fine kimono to be ruined."

Kagome notices she wears a fine kimono, indeed. Why wear something like that hunting? Hisami says, "With Touga watching, I have to make sure I look my best!"

The chorus of raised eyebrows is almost audible. "I did not think you and His Lordship so close," Kaze says.

"We are!" she insists. "Or we will be, once Touga and I mate. I do love him dearly!"

Kagome stares. Hisami is very cute…but she might be a little delusional.

A/N:

Previous: Second

Next: Spy


	165. Spy

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Spy

"Touga is so very handsome!"

Inutaisho cringes from his hiding place in the treetops. Hisami was always very pretty, but hearing her refer to him by his first name makes things much more intimate than he is comfortable with. Instead, he listens for Kagome's response. "Yes, but, um... Er, do you have an…understanding with him?"

"We haven't spoken about it yet," Hisami clarifies, "But I'm positive he loves me too. Did you see his face last week when he made me the winner of the embroidery contest?" She sighs dreamily. "He must have been so impressed by my powerful memory. Of _him_."

"I wish you luck." The monk's voice is like sandpaper on his ears; he grimaces. "With Lord Inutaisho spoken for, I can have Kagome all to myself!"

Hisami and Reina burst into giggles and Inutaisho stops just short of jumping down and relieving the monk of his head. Then he pauses, listens. Kagome, too, laughs. Joyfully. Happily.

"Oh, Kaze," she sighs.

Quietly, he slips from his branch, lets his cloud catch his feet, and follows it back to the palace.

He will spy no more.

A/N:

Previous: Delusions

Next: Creature

Hey all: seeing as American Thanksgiving holidays are approaching, be advised I will not upload on Thursday or Friday. Sorry for the short week; look forward to more Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza on Monday the 28th!


	166. Creature

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Creature

The storm refuses to yield.

"How much longer do you think the rains will last, Milady?" Reina asks her mistress.

"I'm not sure," she admits.

"We may need to spend the whole day in this cave to preserve your kimono, Lady Hisami," Kaze says. "Unless you'd rather be out there hunting…?"

She shakes her head. "No, no! I'd never go out in this storm even if I was in casual clothing! They say there's a fierce creature lurking west of Touga's palace!"

Kagome blinks. "Who is 'they'?"

"I don't know, servants?" she says. "Anyway, I've heard this beast is fearsome and terrific and could rip a demon's head off in one swipe!"

"What kind of creature is it rumored to be?" Kaze asks.

"A bear, larger than a carriage!" she whispers, ghost-white.

They pause. "My Lady, _you_ are a bear."

"I'm not willing to risk it," she cries. "When animals snap not even a demon from their pack can calm them. That's territory for someone as brave as Kyoko! She's a dragon, so she's not afraid of anything!"

A/N:

Previous: Spy

Next: Incredible


	167. Incredible

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Incredible

Kaze glances at Kagome as they huddle away from the cave entrance. "A bear that size certainly sounds formidable. Perhaps our judges would be impressed by the _size_ of such an animal, rather than a medium quantity of birds and fish."

"Lord Kaze, you mustn't!" Hisami cries, stars in her big, doe-like eyes. "Fighting that creature is suicide!"

Kagome smiles. "Don't worry, Lady Hisami," she says. "Kaze and I are stronger than we look, and we know when to retreat when it gets too dangerous. Look, Kaze taught me this," she assumes the correct movement of her hands for each syllable, " _Rin_ , _Pyo_ , _To_ , _Sha_ , _Kia_ , _Jin_ , _Retsu_ , _Zai_ , _Zen_. It's a mantra used to calm the spirit. I think even demons can use it to see a little more clearly. Together we won't fail."

Kaze gazes at his partner, a soft smile on his lips. "We make the most incredible team, you and I," he says.

The heavy patter of rain lessens.

A/N:

Previous: Creature

Next: Angry


	168. Angry

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Angry

The waves have stilled and become a drizzle by the early evening. The sun is only hours from setting, but Kagome feels restless. Hisami asks, "You're leaving, Kagome?"

"Yes," she says. "I feel like we hardly got anything done today; I want to catch up a _little_ bit."

"Let's all have tea together once this is over!" she says. "You can sit next to Lord Kaze and I can sit with Touga! Our one true loves!"

Kagome giggles. "Kaze as my one true love, can you imagine? We're practically brother and sister!" The monk doesn't laugh. With the promise of tea they bow their goodbyes and leave into the woods. They go west. "Do you really think she loves Lord Taisho?" Kagome asks quietly.

Kaze is silent for a long time. "Does it matter?" he asks hoarsely. "If you want to best that beast then we should hurry."

She blinks. "…Are you angry?"

He glares at the ground. "It's getting dark."

A/N:

Previous: Incredible

Next: Tension


	169. Tension

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Tension

The sun vanishes over the mountaintops, bringing darkness. Kagome inches closer, biting her lip. "Um, Kaze," she says. "Did I upset you…?"

"No," he says shortly.

He steps over a large fallen tree, and she struggles to do the same. The distance between them increases. "Er, could you slow down just a bit? I'm not used to trekking in kimonos. Kaze?"

"I'm your partner, not your babysitter, _My Lady_ ," he snaps. "If you want someone to carry you around why not ask Lord Taisho?"

"What-?"

"You're certainly close enough."

"I don't want anyone to _carry_ me, I just want you here. You're my friend-"

"There you go again with that 'friend' business," he says, jumping up a steep incline. "I'm a _friend_ to you and your _lover_ to Hisami, but _don't_ make me your brother." Kagome's foot slips and she watches Kaze slide out of sight up through the trees.

Stuck a level down she cries, "Kaze, where are you?! Slow down!" It's then the miasma hits. Kagome spins around, and the feelings of watching eyes vanishes. There's only trees, rocks, and dirt behind her. "Kaze?" she whispers.

A terrible roar rises from the trees, and something huge emerges from the darkness.

A/N:

Previous: Angry

Next: Spiritual


	170. Spiritual

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Spiritual

The bear is massive, unnatural, foaming at the mouth, yellow teeth gnashing. She grips her bow and draws an arrow from her back, aiming it right between its eyes. She hesitates.

"Why do you wait?" Kyoko emerges from the shadow, unafraid, and strokes the creature's fur. "Does my bear seem fearsome to you?"

"Kaze!" she cries over her shoulder. " _Kaze!"_

"He cannot hear you," she informs her. "He's angry, walking quickly. If he does come back, the barrier I set up will slow him down."

"Why are you doing this?!" Kagome shouts. "Revenge?"

"This isn't about revenge, human," the dragon demoness hisses. "It's about how I can survive in a world where I am invisible. I don't plan to kill you. But I did warn you about hunting dangerous things."

The bear snarls and moves a heavy paw forward. "I can't be responsible if you get hurt," Kagome warns, drawing back her arrow.

Kyoko smirks. "What harm can a stupid little human do?"

She lets the arrow loose; it barrels forward in a huge rush of spiritual light, illuminating the darkness as it speeds toward them.

Kyoko's smile slips from her face.

A/N:

Previous: Tension

Next: Dangerous

See you all on Monday and Happy Holidays!


	171. Dangerous

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Dangerous

The arrow strikes true; but not where she aimed.

A scarlet flower blooms over Kyoko's snow-white kimono, and the sight is so unusual and fascinating that for a moment, Kagome forgets it is blood. The dragon staggers to her knees, and the bear roars, raising its mighty paw, and rips marks into a large tree.

"Lady Kyoko!" she cries. "No, this isn't what I…"

She stays in the dirt, maybe from shock, maybe from fear. Regardless, the bear she seemed to have under her control is angry, rabid, and no longer her friend. It swipes at her; she doesn't manage to scramble away in time, and five huge gashes paint her back red. Kagome rushes forward and catches her before she hits the ground, driving an arrow into the bear as it falls forward.

The animal howls in pain, snarls, and bounds off into the deep dark of the forest. Kagome hoists the wounded demoness onto her back and says, "We've got to go – that bear isn't listening to you anymore!"

"You're a Priestess," she whispers. "It was foolish to attack you so blindly."

"We can kill each other later!" Kagome cries. "I've got to save you first!"

A/N:

Previous: Spiritual

Next: Wounded


	172. Wounded

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Wounded

All she can do is run as fast as she can away from the bear. Kyoko's breathing is ragged and labored for thirty minutes. Once Kagome manages to reach a large stream in a clearing, it stops.

"Lady Kyoko?" she pants. There's no response. The girl groans as she sets the demoness down in the tall grasses and flips around to see her face. "Kyoko!"

Her eyes flutter open. "Take it out," she whispers.

Kagome looks at the arrow that is lodged deep in her belly. "It'll kill you!" she says.

"I'm being purified," she murmurs. "I'll take my chances with infection. Be prepared to stop the bleeding."

She's right; a faint glow is starting to light her pale skin, and there's no time to think of other ideas. "Lie down," she warns, and rolls up the sleeves of her kimono. "This is going to hurt a lot."

She grasps the arrow's shaft, takes a deep breath, and pulls.

A/N:

Previous: Dangerous

Next: Even


	173. Even

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Even

A sharp arrowhead cuts through thick fabric; the soft pink isn't as pretty now, but Kagome needs every bit of it. Her whole right sleeve gone, she pressed the cloth tightly against Kyoko's stomach, trying desperately to staunch the bleeding.

"Why save me?" Kyoko whispers as Kagome's left sleeve comes off, too. "I attacked you."

"And I accidentally shot you with a purified arrow," Kagome shoots back. "I'd say we're pretty even. Where's your partner?"

She lets out a low chuckle. "Partner."

"Well?" she asks. "We should send for help!"

"I have none, Priestess," she says. "No one was interested in working with the prickly dragon demoness. I'm alone out here."

"What about that bear?"

"A mistake," she says. "I trusted the word of a stranger. Now I'm bleeding for it."

"Not anymore," Kagome notes. "I need to stitch this up before I can treat your back, but I don't have anything for the pain. Do you understand?"

Kyoko closes her eyes. "Save me."

A/N:

Previous: Wounded

Next: Question


	174. Question

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Question

As the sky begins to grow dark, Kagome boils water from the stream and uses the last bit of her kimono to wash the gashes on Kyoko's back. It's cold in only the white under layer, but she grits her teeth and gets to work.

"May I ask you a question, Miko?" the demoness grunts.

"Shoot," she says.

"Does the General know what you are?"

She pauses. "He knows. Can I ask _you_ something?"

"Shoot," she says.

"Why do you want to win so badly?"

"Legacy," she says. "I mean nothing to my family; my father has no desire to celebrate the accomplishments I haven't earned. My legacy will fade unless I do something to preserve it."

"And you think mating Lord Taisho will fix it?"

"I hope," she admits. "And as it stands, you are my biggest obstacle."

"Me?" she asks.

"Yes, _you_ , silly human," Kyoko says. "You may be blind to all around you, but I for one wish nothing more than for someone to look at me the way he looks at you."

A/N:

Previous: Even

Next: Third


	175. Third

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Third

"Chew on this," Kagome instructs early the next morning, handing her a green plant. "It'll help lower your temperature. We can't stay here any longer – we don't know where your bear is, and we have to get you back to the palace by sunset or you'll get disqualified."

"I haven't made any kills," she says, taking the plant. "I'd rather be disqualified than arrive empty-handed."

"I'm getting us home, My Lady," Kagome snips, placing a hand on her hip.

"To see Inutaisho?" she asks. Kagome says nothing, and Kyoko leans forward. "Why help Momo to win the games if you love him?"

"I can't," she says. "I don't."

"The bear might come after us," she notes as Kagome helps her to stand. "I have no strength. Will you be able to fight it yourself?"

"I'm not helpless," Kagome grunts, pulling her into a piggyback.

"Then," she murmurs, "my life is in your hands, Kagome."

A/N:

Previous: Question

Next: Run


	176. Run

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Run

Kyoko is heavier than she looks; thirty minutes in and Kagome struggles to breathe steadily. It must be her clothes, she thinks. These kimonos are ridiculous for a hunting competition.

"I just want you to know," Kyoko mumbles as Kagome hops over a fallen tree, "I don't hate you."

"Oh?" she responds.

"I _despise_ you."

"You're weird, My Lady," Kagome says, picking up her pace.

"But," the demoness follows, "I am grateful to you. Confused, but grateful. Do all humans help those who have tried to hurt them?"

"I hurt you first," the priestess whispers. "I lied to you about the embroidery game. Besides, you only _tried_ to hurt me. I almost purified you."

"And while I will be forever thankful you saved me from my own creature, may I insist that you run a little?" she asks, her voice strained. "I fear this fever is from infection."

She inhales and jumps to readjust her cargo. "How does Inuyasha do this?" she sighs.

"Who is Inuyasha?" Kyoko asks.

Kagome stalls. "We'd better hurry."

A/N:

Previous: Third

Next: Charming


	177. Charming

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Charming

"Are you and the human sleeping together?" Kyoko asks abruptly.

Kagome stumbles. "Who, Kaze? Oh, no, no, no! He's just a friend!"

She sniffs. "Odd. It's quite obvious he wants to sleep with you. Mate you, even. Do you not think him handsome?"

"I do, but-"

"Do you not find him charming?"

"Sure, but-"

"Do you think him unworthy?"

"Of course not! It's just-"

"Then what is your objection?"

"He just reminds me so much of his…brother," she explains lamely. "They look alike, act alike, all that. We were just friends."

Kyoko's eyes narrow. "Is he exactly like his brother?"

"Well, not _exactly_ ," she murmurs.

The demoness inhales. "Then why would you assume he, too, only wants your friendship?"

She opens her mouth to retort, but the faint roar of an animal far through the trees stills her. "The bear is angry," she says instead.

A/N:

Previous: Run

Next: Failed


	178. Failed

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Failed

"Careful."

She crouches low behind an old stump.

"Quiet."

The massive bear roams up ahead snarling and stumbling through crunchy leaves. The wound she had given it the day before is dripping a dark red. The tail has snapped off, but the arrowhead is still embedded. The girsl watch from their hiding spot, hidden just inside shadow.

"Can you do it?"

She twirls the arrow in her fingers. "Yeah."

"Aim carefully, Miko," she whispers harshly. "I'm still bleeding from the last arrow you shot."

She draws back the bowstring, taking a deep breath in, letting her thoughts settle. It sniffs the air, curious. She shoots. The arrow cuts through the air and lands heavily in the bear's shoulder. It snarls, rears up on its back paws, and brings them down in an earth-shattering quake. She quickly sends another, this one landing right next to its heart.

It turns to them and screams.

"Run," Kyoko says, "We've failed."

A/N:

Previous: Charming

Next: Scars


	179. Scars

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Scars

They run as fast as they can past the angry, wounded, titanic creature, but with Kyoko being supported on one arm, not fast enough; Kagome turns at the last second to loose a third arrow directly at the bear's head, but her bow and quiver are knocked from her hands and fiery-hot claws leave trails down her cheek, neck, and chest.

"Kagome!" Kyoko cries, and yanks her forward.

Neither girl sees the small cliff, and they fall for what feels like forever.

"Can you walk?!" The dragon cries, struggling to stand, herself.

"Yeah," Kagome grunts. "We have to go now, before it finds a way to make it down."

"Your face…"

"We're not far from the palace," she says, "If we can make it there, we'll be safe!"

The sun has begun to set; the sky is turning a brilliant gold, much like the color of Kyoko's hair. Kagome puts an arm around her waist, and she puts an arm around Kagome's shoulder. "Let us go, then" she says, "and I swear I'll never hunt again!"

A/N:

Previous: Failed

Next: Understanding


	180. Understanding

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Understanding

"Where is she?" Inutaisho growls.

Kaze shakes his head. "It's not sundown yet. I'm sure she's almost back."

He's positive something must have happened. When the monk returned the night before indicating he had lost Kagome, Inutaisho was livid. He still is. Even so, he doesn't understand why. All he knows is that he wants her back, and he wants Kaze gone.

"Where _is_ she?" He hears a rustling of leaves, a shuffle of heavy footsteps. The sun is nearly down. Everyone notices it too, and waits. Kagome and Lady Kyoko burst through the trees, covered in blood. His veins turn to ice.

" _Kagome_!"

Kaze rushes forward, pushing through the crowd to get to her, and secures her in a mighty hug.

"I never should have left you, dove," he whispers into her hair, but Inutaisho hears it.

"I'm here, Kaze," she responds. "We won't be separated again."

He hears that, too.

And then, he finally understands.

Previous: Scars

Next: Truth


	181. Truth

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Truth

A dance.

A touch.

Warm breath.

An almost-kiss…

Watching Kagome fall into Kaze's arms is like his throat being dipped in molten lava. His chest feels tight, he cannot speak, he cannot look away; and he finally knows the truth.

He's jealous.

It's why he followed her and the monk for the first two days, and it's why he left. Sitting in that tree listening in on their conversation he felt like an outsider. He _feels_ like an outsider, still. And once again, he's looking in. Inutaisho wants it to be _him_ welcoming Kagome back, _him_ gently brushing her cheek with his thumb, _him_ telling her he never should have left.

That he's sorry.

That he'll protect her with his life from now on.

Instead that honor goes to the monk. The Great Dog General has seen many things in his lifetime, come to understand many ugly truths about himself.

It has never hurt before.

A/N:

Previous: Understanding

Next: Credit


	182. Credit

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Credit

Kagome pulls away from her friend and looks up to find Inutaisho when a crowd rushes forward to examine her and Kyoko's wounds. Their eyes meet; he looks away.

Something must be wrong.

"My Lady!" a small squire squeaks, a part of Kyoko's clan based on his golden hair. "You're bleeding!"

"I won't die, Katsu," she says, rolling her eyes.

"I'm so glad you made it back!" Tsubaki cries, appearing from thin air. "But you're so hurt! What happened?"

"Kyoko saved me," Kagome says loudly, and the chattering stops. "I was being attacked. Kyoko risked her life and shot the bear with my arrows three times. She's been focusing on it; it's _huge_. I only managed to hunt a few birds."

"Lady Kyoko," Tsubaki says, "That was very brave."

Perhaps she's mistaken, but there's a faint trace of pink lining her cheeks. Kyoko and Kagome exchange glances. "It was my pleasure," the former says. "I would do anything for a friend."

They share a smile.

A/N:

Previous: Truth

Next: Victory


	183. Victory

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Victory

She hopes to speak with Inutaisho, but he and Lady Bou go off in search of the bear before she gets a chance. Within minutes they return, announcing the beast is dead; it doesn't take long for them to examine the kills made by the eleven other contestants and declare Kyoko the winner.

The ferocity of her foe is what brings her to victory, and the size alone is enough to make any man's head swim. She's grateful, quiet. Kagome almost expects her to loudly announce that she is a Miko, throw her to the dogs, but she does not.

As she and Kyoko are escorted to the medical wing for the night Kagome tries again to catch the Daiyoukai's attention, but Inutaisho disappears into the night.

"Are you okay, dove?" Kaze asks, an arm around her waist.

She smiles. "I'm just tired."

"I'll stay with you until you fall asleep," he promises.

A/N:

Previous: Credit

Next: Anything


	184. Anything

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Anything

Kyoko has fallen asleep and Kaze still hasn't left the medical wing. Their wounds have been cleaned, wrapped, and cared for. Luckily the cuts on Kagome's cheek, neck, and chest are shallow; the healer informs her that, in all likelihood, she won't scar.

Kyoko isn't so lucky.

"I'm sorry I left," Kaze says. "I was being foolish. I let my anger guide me. I feel so horrible."

"It's okay," Kagome says, pulling her blanket a little higher. "Kyoko put up a barrier. You wouldn't have been able to come back regardless."

"That doesn't excuse it," he says. "You relied on me, trusted me. From the moment we met to now, I promised myself I'd take care of you."

She smiles wryly. "You did get me to the palace in only six days."

"Speaking of," he begins, smirking. "I recall you telling me you would do 'anything' if I managed it."

"Did I?" She laughs nervously. "Well, I'm a woman of my word. What do you want?"

It happens suddenly; he takes her hand in his, leans forward, and presses lips against lips.

"I want you to meet Kaze," he whispers, resting his forehead against hers. "The man different from Miroku. The man who isn't your brother. The man who desperately adores you."

She's speechless.

"But since you already know," he adds with a wink, "I'll take that kiss."

A/N:

Previous: Victory

Next: Possibility


	185. Possibility

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Possibility

Hours after Kaze has left she's still awake, thinking.Her head is spinning, and she abruptly sits up to still her thoughts.

"Still awake, Kagome?" Kyoko rolls over in her futon, eyes opening. "I don't blame you. I wouldn't sleep well either if someone gave a moving confession like that."

"You weren't asleep," she says.

The demoness shrugs and sits up as well. "No. But pretending was worth it. Your troubles are quite interesting. Would you like to know my opinion?"

"No," she says shortly.

"I think you shouldn't discount the possibility," she continues. "I know little of the monk, but it's clear he likes you very much. He didn't ask you to mate him; only that you meet him as he is. Or are you too much in love with the General to consider the human?"

"I told you, I don't _love_ him."

"You said you _can't_ love him," Kyoko interrupts. "I say you are a fool. You can love anyone you choose. I told you once and I'll tell you again; I don't believe your affections are one-sided. Your indecision very much irritates me, Kagome, so I will ask you once and for all. _Do you love him_?"

There's a long pause.

A/N:

Previous: Anything

Next: Ardently


	186. Ardently

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Ardently

"I do."

They still.

"But I can't."

"Why?"

She was never meant to meet him; he is Sesshomaru and Inuyasha's father; he will love no woman more than he loved Izayoi.

Because in his son's future, Inutaisho is long dead.

"Because I'm selfish," she says. "And I don't want to get hurt. No matter how ardently I…"

Kyoko contemplates quietly for a while, then scoots closer to Kagome's side. She places a comforting hand on her shoulder. "You are foolish," she says. "But… I do understand."

Kagome smiles faintly. She reaches up and touches Kyoko's hair, allowing a few golden strands to slip through her fingers. "I think a little braid would suit you right here," she says, and begins to weave.

Kyoko stiffens. "I've never had my hair braided," she says. "Lady – my mother never… taught me."

"It's simple, Kyoko," she says, making it a point to drop honorifics. "I'll teach you!"

She slowly relaxes, letting down her guard, and draws her knees up to her chest. "I owe you my life," she whispers.

"No," Kagome corrects. "You don't owe me anything. That's what friendship means."

A/N:

Previous: Possibility

Next: Perplexing


	187. Perplexing

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Perplexing

He's not one to admit when things faze him, but when Inutaisho sees Kagome and Kyoko walking about the garden the morning after her victory, arm in arm, chatting, laughing, and teasing, he wonders if he's had a stroke.

"General, good morning," the dragon demoness greets as he draws near to investigate, and both ladies bow politely. "I wish to thank you for my victory yesterday. It was well worth the scars."

"You've braided your hair, My Lady," he notes suspiciously, eyes roaming to Kagome's also-braided hair.

"Thanks to my dear companion," she says, and pats Kagome's hand.

Inutaisho feels as though his head might explode. "Where is the monk this morning?" he asks.

Kagome's smile drops.

He stares.

"We've no obligation to know his whereabouts," Kyoko cuts in, and begins steering Kagome indoors. "Excuse us, General; Kagome has promised to teach me how to bake this afternoon."

He sputters nigh-incoherently as they leave him standing alone in his garden.

A/N:

Previous: Ardently

Next: Red


	188. Red

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Red

"There will be a party next week," Kyoko tells her as they walk to the kitchens. "Full moons are sacred nights to dog and wolf demons. The next game will be in two weeks." They round the corner and Kyoko says, "Share my cup this time. I'll be sure to-"

There's a sharp crack up ahead, and both girls stop in their tracks.

"I didn't raise you to be a filthy cave mutt," a voice barks.

Lady Tsubaki and her father occupy the corridor, her fingertips gingerly touching her angry red cheek, and Lord Atsukage towering ominously over her. Kyoko is gone in a flash and reappears by the wolf demoness, stepping between them. "Lord Atsukage," she says sharply, "Excuse us;Kagome and I were just looking for your daughter. She's promised to have tea with us."

The greying man sneers. "Even if you are your father's daughter, I'd kill you for this obvious intrusion."

The six green stars on her forehead begin to glow. "Shall I remind you of the last time you insulted my father?" she asks.

He shoots them a dirty glare and leaves.

Kyoko exhales. "You shouldn't let him hit you."

Tsubaki's tears fall to the floor. "He's my father."

A/N:

Previous: Perplexing

Next: Choice


	189. Choice

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Choice

They're tucked safely away in Tsubaki's chambers minutes later. "I don't really know what happened," Tsubaki admits. "I was meeting Lord Hanzou for breakfast this morning, but on my way to meet him father stopped me…"

"Why?" Kagome asks.

"He forbade me from seeing him," she whispers. "Because he's in a rival pack. I don't understand! We're good friends, not lovers." She looks at her feet. "I know father wants me to mate Lord Inutaisho."

Kyoko snorts and hands them some tea. "Even Hisami knows you'd rather sleep in a freezing lake for a month," she says. "You can do whatever you want. Just ask Kagome; she'll tell you all about choice."

There's a knock, and the door slides open. Little Katsu from yesterday appears happily, holding out a package. "I fetched the ice, My Lady!" he cries. "I also found the monk!"

Kaze pokes his head around the corner. "Good afternoon, ladies," he says. "Might I borrow Kagome for a while?"

Kyoko stops her as she makes to leave. "Remember," she whispers, "You _always_ have a choice."

A/N:

Previous: Red

Next: Stalion


	190. Stallion

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Stallion

Amidst the many steeds tucked away in the stables rests a new horse Kagome hasn't seen before. He's a brilliant and fuzzy Tokara breed, not over a year old.

"Found him this morning up the mountain," Kaze explains. "I thought you might want a pet."

"He's adorable!" she cries. He reaches toward her suddenly – she flinches back.

Kaze stares. "I won't kiss you again," he promises. "Not until you want me to."

The stallion neighs gently, and her fingers stroke his head. "Kaze," she starts.

"Stop," he says, holding up a hand. "I already know what you're going to say. Please," he adds, his smile stretched, "Don't answer me right now. Today, I only wish to give you a gift. He's yours to name."

Their incredibly short conversation ends as he paces away. Kagome stares after him, thoughts in knots. She sighs, pats the stallion's head again, and makes for the exit. Something grabs her by the arm and swings her around; she yelps.

Inutaisho looks livid.

"Lord Taisho!" she cries. "Why are you here?"

"What did he mean?" he demands.

"What?"

"What did he mean by it?" he growls. "' _I won't kiss you again'_?"

A/N:

Previous: Choice

Next: Pretense


	191. Pretense

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Pretense

The words have barely tumbled from his mouth when he comes to his senses.

His jealousy rages, makes him blind, makes him not himself, and the shame of realizing this is wrong nearly makes him run away. He has no claim to Kagome. It's not his place to interrogate her. He has no right.

Kagome notices it, too. Her face twists from shock to anger, and he hurriedly interrupts her before she can berate him.

"As your employer," he begins loudly, and she pauses, "I would advise against you becoming involved with someone else. While you're here in my house, you need to focus on your task."

He hopes this calms her; it doesn't. "As my employer?" she snaps, and pulls away. "You fired me, My Lord. You _left_ me out in the woods. It was a _six day walk_ to return. You left me!"

"I know!" he shouts.

They hesitate.

The shame and anger leave him, replacing with a hollow sadness. Kagome gently touches his arm. "You're avoiding me."

"I'm sorry," he whispers. "Walk with me?"

A/N:

Previous: Stallion

Next: Family

Whoa, we're almost as two-hundred!


	192. Family

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Family

Summer is over; in only one short month the days have gone from hot and hazy to breezy and bleak. Autumn is near; it's too cold to be outside at night, so the afternoon warmth the day-time sun offers them is much needed.

It doesn't surprise her that their final destination is the northern garden; it's been his favorite place since the day they met. They observe the flowers together, noting those that are out of season and slowly withering. The great red rose depicted in Hisami's powerful memory is dropping petals, and Kagome watches as Inutaisho gently clears away the dead to make room for what's left.

"I've been meaning to ask," she says quietly, "Why do you come here so often? What makes this garden so special to you?"

He gazes past what she can see. "It was my mother's," he says. "This was the last place I saw her."

"Are both your parents…?"

"Yes," he tells her. "My little brother is the only family I have left in the world."

A/N:

Previous: Pretense

Next: Odd


	193. Odd

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Odd

"I haven't seen him since I returned," she notes. "He didn't even judge the hunting competition."

"He's had duties elsewhere," he tells her. "Even though we're hosting a festival, our boarders still need patrolling. For the last month I've had Junpei on patrol duty, but even he needs a break. Uchihiko will join us for the full moon." He grins. "You haven't met Junpei, have you?"

"I don't think so," she says.

"He's Hasatsu's younger brother."

She blinks. "Hasatsu…?"

"The red-headed squire you noticed when you first arrived. An odd pair, them." He licks his lips. "Kagome…"

"Yes?"

"May I ask… What kind of relationship _do_ you and Kaze have?"

She bites her lip. "Lord Taisho," she sighs, "I'll focus on my task to find you a mate. Don't worry about me. In two more months I'll be gone, anyway."

He blinks, surprised. "Gone? Why?"

"My contract with Lord Uchihiko," she verifies. "It was for three months."

He hadn't realized it would ever end.

A/N:

Previous: Family

Next: Go


	194. Go

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Go

He doesn't want her to go. As her friend, as her employer, as… _anything_ he is to her. Here, in his mother's garden where she bade him farewell, the other woman he cares for tells him the same thing. Again.

That she will leave.

His chest tightens; his breath stalls.

"Kagome," he begins, "You could stay. If you wanted to."

She's surprised. "Lord Taisho," she proclaims, "I…I have people I need to go back to!"

His heart skins so far into the ground he thinks he may never retrieve it. He's reminded once again how little he knows of Kagome outside the walls of his palace. "People?"

"Mama must be so worried by now," she frets, "And Souta. And grandpa! And I have to see Miroku and Sango again, and I need to talk to _him_ again, too!"

"You have a mother?" he chokes out.

She realizes she's slipped up, and covers her mouth. "A mother, grandfather, and a little brother."

"And your mother," he remarks, "She will miss you?"

"Yes," she agrees. "I have to go back."

A/N:

Previous: Odd

Next: Letters


	195. Letters

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Letters

"Do you wish to talk about it?" Kyoko asks late that evening.

Kagome knows she and Tsubaki and smell Inutaisho's scent on her, mingled with Kaze's. She smiles and shakes her head. "It's not worth mentioning," she assures.

Tsubaki's swelling has gone down, and the ice Katsu has long since melted. "You were gone for hours," she notes. "Are you okay?"

"I just miss my mother," Kagome admits.

"Are you close with her?"

"Very. I was supposed to be home a long time ago… I'm worried she'll think something has happened."

"What about your father?" Tsubaki asks.

"He died," she explains. "A long time ago. I have a letter from him, but it's at home."

"Do you mind if I ask how he passed?" the wolf Daiyoukai presses carefully.

"He was sick I think," Kagome recalls. "Mama never talked much about it."

"You have something in common with the General," Kyoko observes. "From what I've heard, his Lady Mother too, passed away from an illness when he was only a child. I wonder if she left him some kind of a letter like your father did?"

"I think she did," she whispers.

Her garden is beautiful, after all.

A/N:

Previous: Go

Next: Moon


	196. Moon

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Moon

The second full moon of her stay is bright, brilliant, and beguiling. The day passes slowly; Kagome finds that without her duties as Inutaisho's attendant she must make herself busy in other ways. So, she spends the two days leading up to the feast with her new best friends.

Kyoko, surprisingly, is very mother-like. She hovers over Tsubaki, making sure the wolf demoness has what she needs, and she dotes on Kagome, checking to make sure she's taking proper care of her wounds. Kagome is reminded very strongly of Kaede, albeit a _little_ pricklier. Tsubaki has embraced Kyoko as a friend unconditionally, especially after the defense she showed her against her father.

Finally, evening arrives.

"Kyoko," Kagome begins as they head toward the feast, "I haven't seen Hisami around lately. Where is she?"

The dragon demoness snorts. "She's been asked to take care of tonight's ballad; by Lord Inutaisho himself. No doubt she's off doing her makeup and practicing singing."

"We should all share drinks together tonight," Tsubaki purrs happily. "I'd love to get to know Lady Hisami a little better."

Kyoko shakes her head. "The woman is delusional."

A/N:

Previous: Letters

Next: Outsider


	197. Outsider

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Outsider

After their heart-to-heart, Kagome looks forward to tonight – she and Inutaisho haven't had a real chance to talk for weeks, and she craves the intellectual conversations they so often have.

While Kyoko searches for Hisami and Tsubaki finds their drinks, Kagome scans the crowd for him. He's easy to spot; as tall as he is. She can't help the smile that creeps onto her lips. It seems Uchihiko is back from patrol, dressed in full armor. She doesn't want to interrupt them, but she makes her way forward anyway to say hello.

She gets closer, and notices the brothers aren't speaking to each other; they're speaking with Lady Momo.

Kagome stops. Momo says something, and Inutaisho reaches out to tuck a loose strand of hair behind her ear.

Kagome stares a moment longer.

Momo blushes.

Kagome turns to go.

A/N:

Previous: Moon

Next: Toast


	198. Toast

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Toast

Hisami looks a _tad_ overdressed; she wears large fluffy furs over both shoulders, sports a very long midnight blue kimono and a thousand other colored layers, stands in jet-black _geta_ that make her nearly twenty centimeters taller, and has applied a very dark red lip.

"Lady Hisami," Tsubaki greets, "You certainly seem festive!"

"I'm singing tonight," she explains excitedly, "after the toast! Touga has asked me himself!"

"Don't sing yourself hoarse," Kyoko warns. "Here – your cup. We'll share. Don't spill it!"

Inutaisho delivers a short speech – Kagome doesn't listen. Her eyes are on Momo. "For glory!" he cries, and the audience follows suit. She watches as Sesshomaru's mother takes the cup from Sesshomaru's father's hands and sips, long and deep, without ever breaking eye contact.

"Kagome."

She snaps back. "Huh?"

Kyoko hands her the sake. "He won't grow to love you if you're jealous. Drink."

"For glory," she toasts.

A/N:

Previous: Outsider

Next: Emerge


	199. Emerge

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Emerge

"Well, I'm up!" Hisami announces excitedly. "How do I look?!"

"Ridiculous," deadpans Kyoko.

"Lovely," chimes Tsubaki.

She giggles, oblivious to the blatant insult, and skips off to the stage.

As she vanishes, someone else emerges. Kagome does a double take. "Masu?!"

Masu is just as beautiful as ever; her long black hair is shiny and billows down her back. She's dressed in fine clothes, and she smiles, lighting up her red eyes. "Hello, little human," she purrs. "Have you missed me?"

"Where have you been?" she cries, giving her a hug.

"Patrolling with Lord Uchi," she says. "I only heard about what happened when I returned this afternoon. Does it hurt very much?"

She reflexively touches her bandaged cheek. "Only a little," she admits.

Masu claps her on the back. "It'll heal. Everything that hurts heals with time."

Her eyes snake toward Inutaisho, who is still engaged in conversation with Lady Momo. "Everything?" she asks.

A/N:

Previous: Toast

Next: Song


	200. Song

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Song

Inutaisho finds them some time into the evening, long after Hisami's song has begun.

"Ladies," he greets, and they bow. "I see you've banded together. Interesting group."

"We see past our differences," Kyoko snips bluntly. "As are you – isn't Lady Momo from an unknown dog clan?"

Masu corrects, "Unknown but rich. Her father is one of the richest non-Daiyoukai in Japan."

"I'm not here to discuss Lady Momo's family," Inutaisho growls. "Kagome, I've come to ask you to walk with me."

She can almost feel the heads turning. Her mouth is dry. "Yes, Lord Taisho," she accepts.

He walks a few paces in front of her, shrouded in shadow. She wonders what he could possibly want in the middle of the feast, but follows regardless. Hisami's song fades. He leads her, as she could have guessed, to the garden. "Look," he says, pointing to small buds in the earth. "These flowers bloom only in moonlight. I wanted to show you."

They're beautiful blossoms. She smiles. "They're lovely, Lord Taisho,"

"Enough of that 'Lord' business," he sighs. "You're my friend. You may call me by my given name – Touga."

"Are you sure?" she gasps.

Their eyes meet. He steps toward her, moving from shadow to moonlight, and she realizes quite suddenly that he's dressed in all red.

 _The robe of the fire-rat. Inuyasha…_

"I wish it," he rumbles deeply.

A/N:

Previous: Emerge

Next: Primrose

Two-hundred! Leave a review to celebrate!


	201. Primrose

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Primrose

Kagome tries with all her might to avoid it, but the curiosity is maddening; as Inutaisho watches the yellow blossoms of the primrose bloom, she watches him. She _has_ to ask. "Lord Taisho-"

"Touga,"

" _Touga_ ," she corrects, "Your clothes…Are those made from a fire-rat?"

He smiles. "I'm impressed. How did you know?"

"I knew someone who had robes like yours, once," she says. "I'd recognize it in a heartbeat."

"One of your friends from before?" he asks.

"Yeah, one of my friends."

"It's an expensive thing to own," he notes. "Unless you have very rich friends, he must be an accomplished warrior to win a prize like that."

She kneels down and gently lifts a bud up toward the moonlight. The primrose gently opens. "It was a gift," she says. "His father loved him so much."

A/N:

Previous: Song

Next: Match


	202. Match

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Match

"What was this friend's name?" he asks.

Kagome stands, brushed the soil from her knees, and smiles. "I should go back to the party. Kyoko will come looking if I'm gone too long."

"I will accompany you," he offers, holding out an elbow.

Her eyes catch something just behind his shoulder, and she takes a step back. "I think Lady Momo will appreciate the escort more than I will," she proposes. Inutaisho turns to see the dog demoness emerging from around the corner. Kagome adds under her breath, just low enough that he can hear, "She's a good match. Treat her like a Lady; I'm just your friend."

Off she goes, away from him, stopping only for a moment to bow to the demoness before she scurries out of sight. Not once does she look back.

Momo smiles and approaches. "My Lord," she greets, placing her thin fingers on his arm. "Come back to the feast; my father wishes to share a drink with you."

He barely hears her. "Of course, My Lady," he mumbles.

A/N:

Previous: Primrose

Next: Grunts


	203. Grunts

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Grunts

Kyoko gives her friend a stern look when she returns alone. "Did he not have the decency to walk you back?" she snaps.

"He's with Lady Momo," she explains. "I thought it best they return at their own pace."

"I will never understand why you root for her and not yourself," she sulks.

Kagome pats her arm comfortingly. "Maybe one day I'll tell you. Where's Tsubaki and Hisami?"

"Hisami is getting another drink before the second verse and the wolf said she wasn't feeling well."

Kagome blinks, startled. "Is she all right?"

"We can check up on her," Kyoko suggests. "I'm sick of Hisami's singing, anyway; I've always preferred the howling of dogs and wolves to the grunts and growls of bears."

"And how do dragons sing, Milday?"

"If you're lucky," Kyoko mutters, "You'll die before you can hear it."

A/N:

Previous: Match

Next: Scandal


	204. Scandal

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Scandal

When they get within a hundred feet of Tsubaki's chambers, Kyoko stops dead in her tracks.

Kagome blinks, confused, curious. "Kyoko?"

Her face screws up. "She is fine – let's go-"

"What do you mean? She said she wasn't feeling well, we should check up on her before we go!" She strides forward and reaches for the sliding door's edge. Kyoko grabs her wrist.

"Don't," she warns. "You'll regret it."

She scoffs, slides the door open all the way, and steps inside. "Lady Tsubaki, are you feeling-"

The two bodies rip apart; Tsubaki snatches her covers and hold them up to her neck, flushing the deepest red Kagome has ever seen. Lord Hanzou doesn't feel the need to cover up as urgently. He catches her eye, grins, and says, "See Tsuki? I told you that they'd swing by."

"Kagome!" Tsubaki cries, embarrassed to the point of tears. "I, I, oh, dear!"

She throws the door shut, but can't move. The last thing she sees is Hanzou's bare chest and his smug grin. Kyoko places a pitying hand on the girl's shoulder. "Told you so," she hisses gleefully.

A/N:

Previous: Grunts

Next: Love


	205. Love

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Love

She meets the wolf demoness after a sleepless night at breakfast. Neither girl touches their food, and after minutes of long, awkward silence, Tsubaki waves away her attendant so they are alone.

"I'm so sorry," Kagome gushes.

"No, no, I'm so mortified," Tsubaki bursts.

"I had no idea, I wouldn't have-"

"It's not your fault!"

They regress to stillness. Tsubaki bites her lip.

"Kagome," she begins, "I know it's silly of me to even say this but…You won't tell father…will you?"

She reaches over and takes her hand. "Of course not," she promises. They share a smile. "How long have you two been…?"

"Oh," She flushes. "During the hunt…Things got a little out of hand… But," she cries, "He's a good man! An honorable man! He's _nothing_ like what father says. He's kind, funny, strong, sensitive."  
Kagome smiles.

"I love him," Tsubaki admits. "Do you think I'm…wrong?"

"No," she says, and pats her friend's hand. "No, I think you're perfectly right."

A/N:

Previous: Scandal

Next: Immaculate


	206. Immaculate

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Immaculate

In the early afternoon Masu finds her and brings her to the room where she got her pink kimono.

"You've been wearing hand-me-downs for days," she explains as the demon measures her top to bottom. "It's time you got some new clothes, seeing as your last pair ended up soaked in dragon blood. But enough of that," she dismisses. "Red, green, blue? What color do you want?"

While Masu, dressed in an immaculate silk black kimono herself, chooses fabrics, Kagome asks, "Is there a reason you came to the feast? I know this whole competition makes you uncomfortable."

"I did say I would tell you one day," she murmurs. "It's not the competition I want to avoid; it's a competitor."

Intrigued, she asks, "Whom?"

"My sister." She smiles ruefully. "My mother and father, too. I have not spoken to them in a hundred years. They don't know this is where I came when they cast me out, but I'm done hiding from them. I've decided I need to face my problems head-on; you taught me that."

She's flattered. "How will you see them again?" she asks.

Masu grins. "I'm going to join the competition, too."

A/N:

Previous: Love

Next: Portuguese


	207. Portuguese

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Portuguese

Inutaisho exhales, then draws fresh air slowly. Reveling in the coolness, tasting the moisture.

"Do you think this competition wise, Touga?" Uchihiko asks from back inside the room. "With a little under two weeks to prepare…"

"I think it very wise," he insists. "A game like this is unheard of, but I believe it could be popular even after the competition has ended."

The younger Daiyoukai brushes white strands from his eyes and squints at the papers before him. "And, er, _what_ did you say this game should be called, again?"

"It's Portuguese," Inutaisho says, flipping back into the room and pointing to something on the papers. "For 'cards'."

Uchihiko licks his lips. "Karuta?" he reads.

A/N:

Previous: Immaculate

Next: Objective


	208. Objective

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Objective

"I knew it!" Kagome gasps, nearly ripping her letter in half.

Kaze stares. "Pardon, dove?" he asks gently.

"The announcement for the next event!" she explains. "It says they'll call it 'Karuta', a game made by Inutaisho himself! Karuta, Kaze, Karuta!"

"I'm confused," he admits with a sheepish grin. The day is cold, but they brave the chill together to feed and groom their new pony, who Kagome has affectionately named "Buyo", after her cat.

Buyo neighs and rears up a little; Kagome stills him with a stroke to his mane. "Karuta is a game from the future," she whispers so no one might overhear. "My cousin's nephew used to play! I told you about the haiku competition, right? I knew something was familiar about the poems! _They're early versions of the Karuta poems_!"

"Lucky you," he notes, watching as Buyo gobbles up an apple. He takes the announcement from her and reads it over. "You'll have an advantage then, right?"

Her smile drops suddenly.

Alarmed, Kaze asks, "What's wrong?"

"I've never played before," she realizes.

A/N:

Previous: Portuguese

Next: Studies


	209. Studies

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Studies

"The rules are pretty complex," she digresses as the pair rushes back to the palace for warmth. "There are a hundred poems with the _second_ verse written on cards; fifty are in play, the other fifty are inactive."

"The objective?" he asks.

"To get rid of all your cards. The judge reads the first verse and the players choose the corresponding second verse."

"For one hundred poems?" he asks, surprised. "That's a lot of memorization."

"Don't remind me," she groans. "Anyway, if you get to the right card first you can send one of yours to the other player's side – or, er, something similar to that? Maybe it's only when you win a card from _them_?"

He pauses. "You don't know, do you?"

Kagome groans, dropping her head in her hands. "I'm doomed."

"Better start studying," he chuckles. "And I know _just_ who should be your study partner."

A/N:

Previous: Objective

Next: Couple


	210. Couple

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Couple

He's ambushed by Lady Momo the moment he exists the library; she's armed in fine clothes and smells of sweet blossoms. She's been…aggressive, as of late. "My Lady," he acknowledges.

"My Lord," she returns politely. "I remembered you mentioned last night that you enjoy reading, so I thought I might find you here."

"May I help you?"

"I wish for your company," she purrs. "I did so enjoy it yesterday. Walk with me to the gardens?"

Never one to pass up a trip to his favorite spot, he agrees, and off they go. She makes small talk and he nods and grunts in response. Kagome's voice nags in his head, _Treat her like a Lady. She's a good match_.

Suddenly Kagome is before him. For a moment he thinks he's hallucinating, that he's finally cracked, then he blinks. This is no hallucination. She's arm-in-arm with the monk, and he starts to feel the monster he calls 'jealousy' rising from the pit of his stomach when he realizes he has Lady Momo on _his_ arm.

Kagome catches his eye; he nods once, jerkily. Her frown twists into a pained smile. She shoots him a thumbs-up, and they pass each other in moments.

"Are Kagome and the monk a couple?" Momo asks. "They complement each other."

He doesn't answer.

A/N:

Previous: Studies

Next: Verses


	211. Verses

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Verses

"What is this," Kyoko asks tonelessly. "You promised me tea."

"Sorry," Kagome apologizes. "Have you read your letters?"

When Kaze said he had someone to study with, she pictured one individual. Not six.

Tsubaki sits with Hanzou, who sits next to Kyoko, who is near Masu, who is by Hisami and Reina. Kagome and Kaze complete the circle. Her audience nods. "Good," she chirps. "I just, um, wanted to study the poems with all of you. My friends," she adds, in an attempt to placate the dragoness.

"I think it's a lovely idea," Tsubaki sighs, and her lover pats her hand. "The poems are the ones we wrote?"

"So it would seem," Kyoko spits.

Hisami and Reina giggle about something. "Imagine, Touga seeing me win, Reina! Don't you think he'd be amazed?" She blinks and stars swim in her eyes. "Maybe he'll propose on the spot!"

"On the spot, eh?" Kyoko grins. "Then read me the verses, Kagome! Hisa knows I won't back down without a fight!"

A/N:

Previous: Couple

Next: Queen


	212. Queen

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Queen

" _The spring has passed and_ …and…"

"And the summer comes again," Reina reminds her. It's late; the others have left for bed hours ago, but she and Hisami remain; they got the least done, after all. Her Lady sighs and tosses away her book.

"This is too hard!" she complains. "I only want to stand out – Kyoko can win the next game if she insists. I only want to be remembered. Do you think he'll like my dress?"

"Of course, My Lady," Reina recites. She's seen the garment a thousand times. She _still_ thinks the Dog General will value victory over silk. "Are you excited to win Inutaisho's heart?"

" _Beyond_ excited," she gasps. "He already has mine; imagine how amazing it will be to have reciprocated feelings!"

"Then you'll be Lady of the East _and_ West!" Reina says innocently. "Milady will rule over half of Japan!"

"Imagine that," she sighs, leaning back. "Bear of the East, Lover of the West. Queen of Japan."

A/N:

Previous: Verses

Next: Pancakes


	213. Pancakes

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Pancakes

Kyoko, determined to win, casts them out early so she can focus, Tsubaki and Hanzou go for a date outside the palace, and Hisami and Reina are getting nowhere fast; Kagome and Masu decide to study on their own for a while until the former's stomach rumbles, and they take a break for another midnight cooking excursion.

"What are you making?" Masu asks.

"Pancakes," she reveals. "Are you still studying?"

"I am," she affirms.

"You're working really hard," Kagome notes. "Are you sure about joining the competition?"

"Of course. I want my family to see me and know that I've been fine without them."

Kagome nods. "I just can't imagine what it's like to separate from your family," she whispers.

Masu gazes at her, reading the sincerity in her eyes. "Shall I tell you?" she offers.

A/N:

Previous: Queen

Next: Eiji


	214. Eiji

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Eiji

"When I was young I fell in love with a stable boy.

A servant's son, lower than low, poor and insignificant. We weren't Daiyoukai, but we were a proud family, and my father always talked about rising to the top of the social ladder by mating my sister and I to Daiyoukai Lords. Well, I didn't want Daiyoukai Lords; I wanted adventure, to be free from my father's thirst for power. I was fine staying as I was. His name was Eiji. We fell in love. We wanted to be mates. We planned to run away and live together in secret, away from my family. Alone, but…together.

To make a long and terrible story short, we were discovered fleeing. My father killed Eiji and my mother made me watch. Even then, with my love dead, I refused to mate a Lord I did not love. So, my parents cursed me. Until I mate with a Daiyoukai Lord they approve of, I cannot reveal who I truly am.

I endured much suffering, and all the while my sister did _nothing_ to stop it. To answer you, the separation is painful, yes. But not because I miss them."

Kagome embraces her carefully. "Oh, Masu. I'm so sorry."

A/N:

Previous: Pancakes

Next: Pups


	215. Pups

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Pups

"A good match? How is that woman a good match?!" Inutaisho spits as he tears off his armor and tosses it onto his brother's bed. "She's hardly a dog; she acts like a snake!"

Uchihiko blinks. "These are _my_ chambers, My Lord. Are you lost?"

"I'm in need of brotherly love," he grunts, slipping under the furs. "Make me tea."

The younger's brow raises, but he chooses not to comment. "As you wish." While brewing the leaves he asks, "Which snakelike woman are you speaking of?"

"Momo, that insufferable wench," he barks. "Kagome said she's a good match; how? Since the hunt she's been accosting me at every turn I make! I barely managed to get away!"

"Perhaps, brother," Uchihiko suggests as he hands him the sweat-smelling tea, "You would prefer the company of another? You _are_ still free to choose your mate, no matter what Kagome says. Any woman would be honored to mother your pups. Have you thought of who would be good to your future heirs?"

Inutaisho pushes Kagome's face out of his mind. "Keh. The tea is cold."

A/N:

Previous: Eiji

Next: Karuta


	216. Karuta

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Karuta

They avoid each other for the next two weeks; when he spots Kagome through the trees of the forest he ducks the other way. When she spies Inutaisho at the other end of the corridor she flips around and runs around the corner. It's…awkward, to say the least.

He wants to see her. He wants to spend time with her again, chat about nothing and everything as they used to. Of course, they can't avoid each other forever. The morning of the fourth competition arrives, and the ladies file in to the great hall where seats have been set up on the sides for the audience, and tatami mats have been placed in the center for the games.

They draw straws to see who will face off against whom; Kagome's matches the length of a young suitor from Lady Bou's clan, who looks very nervous, indeed. Kyoko matches up with Hisami (yo the bear's horror), Tsubaki to a cat demoness names Sakuya, Masu to Sakuya's elder sister, and Momo to a formidable-looking fox demoness.

The last woman standing will win.

Inutaisho watches as Kagome and Momo pass each other to get to their spots. As they do, Kagome whispers, "Good luck, Milady."

A/N:

Previous: Pups

Next: Naniwa

If you want a more in-depth look at Karuta (it is a real sport in Japan) you can look up some videos of how it's played. Or, if you like anime (you're reading a fanfiction of an anime, after all) you can watch the series "Chihayafuru". It's VERY good and explains the game quite well! If you already know all about it, keep in mind that the rules will be slightly different in this story, as this is an early version of Karuta, fictionalized by myself. Sorry for the long author's note! Have a lovely day!


	217. Naniwa

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Naniwa

" _In Naniwa Bay,_

 _the flower now blooms!_

 _Here comes spring;_

 _now the flower blooms!_ "

She inhales slowly. The opening poem is familiar to her. She attended one of her cousin's nephew's matches, one time. Still, as the reader begins to sing the first verse of the first card, she realizes she is unprepared for the demoness's speed.

The singer cries out one syllable and the sound of a hand slapping on the tatami meets their ears; her opponent has the first card, from Kagome's side. Kyoko also wins her first card, and Hisami seems absolutely terrified. She can't check on the others; the lion demoness slider her a card from her side.

Kagome feels a spark ignite within her. She frowns, and focuses.

She wins the second card.

And the third.

She studied for a reason, after all.

A/N:

Previous: Karuta

Next: Mount


	218. Mount

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Mount

It's actually quite fun; when the poems the demoness wrote themselves are read the contestants light up. So far into the first match, no one has lost a card they themselves wrote for. Kagome recognizes Tsubaki's poem when it's sung:

" _On a rugged mount_ ,"

She swings her hands down and barely manages to take the card before her opponent. She doesn't doubt Tsubaki has done the same.

" _a deserted pheasant sleeps._

 _I, too, sleep alone_."

Unfortunately, for all of Kagome's efforts, she's too slow to face a demoness. Players finish their matches at different times; Kyoko and Hisami's game ends first with Kyoko the winner. Sometime after Masu wins, Kagome loses, Tsubaki wins, and Momo wins.

"Congratulations, you're moving on to round two!" she says cheerfully to Tsubaki, Masu, and Kyoko. The latter gives her a sad look. "Don't worry about me," she says. "I'm human; I wouldn't have won against a demon anyway! Hisami and I will sit with Kaze."

"If you insist," Kyoko says.

"Just do me a favor?"

"Anything."

"One of you win."

A/N:

Previous: Naniwa

Next: Fondness


	219. Fondness

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Fondness

The second round begins. The remaining competitors draw straws again to pair off. Tsubaki and Masu draw each other. Kyoko gets the lion demoness that beat Kagome, and a wicked grin spreads across her face. Momo faces off against a demoness named Hebi, and two girls named Asako and Sayuri compete.

Everyone has settled into a comfortable routine, and it's easier for everyone to win cards. The second round moves much swifter, and the outcome is as Kagome suspects: Masu defeats Tsubaki, who graciously accepts her loss and comes to sit with her and Hisami. Momo and Kyoko win their matches, and the girl named Asako wins hers.

It's clear that Masu is very talented at Karuta; not once has she come close to losing her match. They draw for round three, and Kyoko pales when her straw matches the length of Masu's.

"You're good," the dragoness admits. "You'll win the next match."

Masu is smug, but there's a softness to it, a fondness. "Don't make it easy for me. One of us has to take that dog bitch down."

Kyoko grins. "Then may the best demoness win."

A/N:

Previous: Mount

Next: Black


	220. Black

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Black

The second-to-last match is intense, fast paced, and nerve-wracking. Momo defeats Asako easily, but Kagome's two friends are neck and neck. One takes a card, the other takes two. Things are evenly matched for a long time. Nearly all hundred poems are read, and it's only when both demonesses have one card left on both sides that the results become clear.

The reader begins singing the first verse of Kyoko's poem. She recognizes it and moves.

Masu is faster.

The winner declared, the women bow to each other, bringing the round to an end. Kyoko sits next to Kagome, who puts an arm around her shoulders. "You were _amazing_."

"I did not win."

"It doesn't matter," she insists. "Everyone noticed you."

With the last match of the fourth competition closing in, Momo and Masu meet in the middle of the hall, where only one set of tatami remains. The dog demoness catches something on the air; she inhales, and her eyes harden. "I thought it was you. I haven't seen you since you ran away and forsook your lineage. How are you enjoying your cursed hair? Black as your loyalty?"

Masu grins. "Oh, I _revel_ in the opportunity to discard the looks father gave me. Are you ready to lose, little sister?"

A/N:

Previous: Fondness

Next: Betrayal


	221. Betrayal

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Betrayal

When Masu finally rests after her long run from her family, she is broken. The curse her father cast upon her makes her unrecognizable; her hair has turned muddy, black as crow feathers, her golden eyes tainted with the color of fall leaves. Her father's curse is efficient; she looks nothing like her family.

She sits, face scratched up and bleeding, on a fallen tree in a forest she doesn't recognize. It isn't an hour before she hears the soft springing of tree branches as someone leaps from pine to pine, then gradually descends before her.

She looks up.

Inutaisho asks, "Why do you weep, My Lady?"

Masu says, "I'm no Lady, My Lord. I am no one."

"Do you wish for respite?"

She nods.

His observes her with stone-cold eyes. But, when he speaks, his voice is warm. "Come."

A/N:

Previous: Black

Next: Showdown

Hello, all. I'm terribly sorry for the long break. I'm afraid I was very sick and needed much rest. I'm back now with a little news for you all: once we hit the 300 mark, I'm going to slow the volume of updates a little. My current plan is to update three times daily mon-fri, or five times Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Drop me a note to let me know which you'd prefer, and when we get closer to 300 I'll announce which schedule we'll switch to. Twenty-five drabbles a week is a lot, and I thank you in advance for understanding. Thank you so much for reading, and if you haven't already subscribed to the story, feel free to do so! Your support means a lot to me, and I'm constantly touched by the kind reviews I receive from all of you.

Thank you for reading my long author's note!

Pantan


	222. Showdown

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Showdown

He is surprised, that much he admits. The Lord of the West never knew who Masu was, as from the day they met till now he had never asked. He knew only that she was alone, she was broken, and he had helped her to live. As one of his only friends in the world, he hadn't ever pushed Masu to tell him of her past, while he freely gave her knowledge of his.

She was there with him the day his father died. She was there every year to observe his mother's anniversary of death. She was there to tend the garden with him in the springtime, and for one hundred years, she was his closest friend.

Now, as she begins her final showdown with her sister, he realizes that for as much as she has given him freely, he must give back.

Their eyes meet.

He nods.

The court will undoubtedly understand this; murmurs break out as Momo's face flushes in anger. Kagome leans over to her companions and whispers, "What's going on?"

"Inutaisho has shown Masu his favor," Kyoko explains. "She is his favorite to win."

The match begins.

A/N:

Previous: Betrayal

Next: Expression


	223. Expression

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Expression

" _As I lay in the fields-_ "

The _thud_ of swift hands knocks cards off the _tatami_.

" _I pray to the skies_!"

The match is lightning-fast.

" _Impassioned Gods make red-_ "

Another thud, and a scramble to reach the correct card. Kagome can't take her eyes off the sisters for a single moment. She hasn't seen much of Momo's parents, but as she peeks at the audience, she sees them. Inuchi and Kame, their father and mother, watch stonily. While not Lord and Lady, they command a presence that is intimidating, strong, and makes Kagome look away for fear of being discovered.

Masu and Momo are evenly matched, but as the cards dwindle, their expressions give them away. One is calm, and the other is angry. One final poem is called out as the end draws near, and the match finds its conclusion.

"Give up, sister. You've lost."

A/N:

Previous: Showdown

Next: Wrong


	224. Wrong

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Wrong

Momo fouled. While she had the advantage of fewer cards on her side, when the final poem was sung she reached for and touched the wrong card, while Masu's fingers found the right one. This means that the older sister can give her opponent two of her own cards, making her the winner.

She gracefully slides the cards of her choice to the other side of the _tatami_ , and the girls bow deeply to each other. Momo trembles as she holds fast.

"Lady Masu," Inutaisho declares, "of my father's house is the winner."

The audience erupts into cheers and applause; two demons do not join them. Momo swiftly leaves the hall, and Masu bows before Inutaisho.

"Thank you, My Lord," she says. "This victory means more to me than you know."

He smiles affectionately. "Keh. Foolish woman. Of course I know."

As Kagome observes the two sharing a secret glance, the possibility blossoms in her mind.

"I was wrong," she whispers.

Kaze gently grabs her hand. "Kagome? Are you okay?"

She shakes her head. "I was wrong."

A/N:

Previous: Expression

Next: Sesshomaru


	225. Sesshomaru

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Sesshomaru

"Do you think your parents will seek you out?" Kyoko asks late in the day. The ladies have gathered in Kagome's room to celebrate, accompanied also by Kaze and Hanzou. It's a tight squeeze, but the kitchen staff has brought snacks and tea for them all, so they lay out some cushions and make do.

"I don't know," Masu admits. "I've nothing to do with them now, so they have no reason to speak to me. Although I assume my sister will ask them to punish me."

"I'm surprised you two are related," Tsubaki interjects, pouring more jasmine-scented liquid into their cups. "You hardly have anything in common!"

Kagome listens as Masu hums. "My parents gave us both 'M' sounds in an attempt for consistency, but I would rather us have our own names. I will never name my children such similar things."

Her mouth is dry. She swallows. "What _would_ you name your child, Masu?"

"Me?" She thinks. "You'll think me pretentious."

"No, no; tell me."

"I've always favored the name – don't laugh – it means 'killing perfection'."

Kyoko scoffs a laugh and says, "That would make your child's name-"

"Sesshomaru," Kagome whispers.

"Yes," Masu says, surprised. "How did you know?"

Kaze understands, too. She answers her softly, "Lucky guess."

A/N:

Previous: Wrong

Next: Jade


	226. Jade

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Jade

"You are not asleep."

Kagome stiffens when Inutaisho's voice meets her ears, but she relaxes and eases back into the comforting embrace of stone. "I'd think you of all people would realize coming to a mountain top in the middle of the night isn't just for my health," she says, her eyes fixed on the valley below.

"If you wish for solitude," he begins.

"No, it's fine," Kagome interrupts. "You can stay."

He lays a jade-colored blanket on her lap, and joins her under its cover. "What are you thinking about?" he asks into the still night air.

She considers lying to him, saying some biting remark about his nosiness or otherwise, but she's exhausted. With a shrug, instead she reveals truthfully, "I'm thinking about you."

A/N:

Previous: Sesshomaru

Next: Trust


	227. Trust

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Trust

Him?

The feeling of warmth in his chest stirs again, and he thinks of holding her. To his shock, Kagome leans against his shoulder of her own volition, as though she read his thoughts, as though she knows his innermost desires.

"Touga," she murmurs into his sleeve, "You're my friend, right?"

He swallows. "I am."

"And you trust me?"

He isn't sure what makes him say it. "With my life," he vows.

She breathes slowly in, letting the cool mountain air fill her lungs, then she sighs it into the sky, and he swears she smells like lavender. "It's not Lady Momo," she says.

"What's not?"

"The mate you need," Kagome whispers. "I was wrong. And I need you to trust me."

A/N:

Previous: Jade

Next: Why


	228. Why

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Why

His gut sinks and his heart lurches. He's all out of sorts, and it gives way to frustration. "What do you know of what I need?" he asks coolly. "You've promoted Lady Momo since the first of the games. Not long ago you told me she would make a good match. You take back your words now?"

"She's not right for you," Kagome explains, drawing back to look in his eyes. "Neither is Kyoko, neither is Hisami, neither is Tsubaki. I've observed these women for a month, and they are all lovely, wonderful girls, but they aren't _right_. You told me what you're looking for. You aren't looking for love, you aren't looking for friends, you want someone who is strong that can raise your pups. I _know_ who that is, now. It's-"

"Stop," he demands. "Stop it, Kagome."

She stares at him, wide-eyed. "Stop?" she asks. "Why?"

"Because I wish it," he snaps.

A/N:

Previous: Trust

Next: Rejection


	229. Rejection

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Rejection

Kagome can't think of what to say in the face of his rejection. So she settles for the truth. "You _asked_ me to do this!" she cries.

"Keh," he spits. "I'm changing my mind."

"Just like that?" she asks angrily. "Just because _you wish it_?"

"I am a King, I can do as I please."

She stands, dropping his jade blanket in the dirt. "Then you no longer need me," she says. "In that case, I'm leaving. I need to get home, _My Lord_. I have people waiting for me, and I'm just wasting my time here."

He feels his anger crawl and claw up his throat. "Kagome, you will _not-_ "

A surge of magical light and energy pulses from her body, sending Inutaisho back a step. He shields his eyes.

"I'm going _home_ ," she hisses.

"Please," he gasps, grabbing her hand. Her spiritual waves sear into his flesh, burning his skin, but he holds fast. "Please. Don't leave, Kagome. Don't leave."

A/N:

Previous: Why

Next: Kiss


	230. Kiss

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Kiss

From the moment Kagome danced with in the moonlight of Lady Tsubaki's ballad, Inutaisho, the great Dog General of the West, he never wanted to let her go.

Their nigh-brush of lips in the forest as he bid her goodbye was closer than he'd ever intended to get, and yet he was left wanting.

Kaze, the monk, had ignited feelings within his bosom he'd never experienced for anyone, and watching him hug Kagome, hearing of their intimacies, catching the whispers of those who thought them a good match physically _hurts_.

Kagome is his dearest friend, his most trusted companion, and the woman he adores. He doesn't want to hear who he should mate from her. He doesn't want her to leave.

"Why should I stay?" she asks.

He grips her tighter despite the burning of holy light against his cursed flesh. "Because I love you," he realizes aloud.

Kagome stares. Her energy fades.

They absorb the silence. "And," he rumbles deeply, "if you will allow it, My Lady, I would kiss you."

A/N:

Previous: Rejection

Next: Lips


	231. Lips

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Lips

Touga's lips are warm.

Even with her eyes closed, she sees him; the sincerity on his face, the truth and determination in the twinkle of his eyes. The soft glow of her holy powers fades as they touch under the blanket of dark sky, and the evanescence gives way to the radiance of the stars.

The moment is long, ethereal, surreal, impossible.

His lips…

His heart…

It's everything she shouldn't have, and Kagome clings to him despite it, like a mother clings to her child. They draw breath, pause, and part. "My Lady," the General rumbles, and he needn't say anymore.

Kagome leans in for another taste.

A/N:

Previous: Kiss

Next: Clandestine


	232. Clandestine

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Clandestine

As sunlight basks them in early-morning light, Kagome and Inutaisho delay their goodbye. He holds her tightly against him, inhaling her sweet, salty, floral scent.

"Meet me in the garden tonight," he murmurs softly. "I have somewhere I wish to take you."

She nuzzles into the crook of his neck. "We won't be able to keep this a secret for long," she whispers. "Kyoko will find out sooner rather than later. She isn't in love with you like Hisami is, but she's still vying for your hand. She might be mad at me."

He scoffs. "Keh. I dare her to lay a hand on you again."

"She's my friend, Touga," Kagome sighs. "She wouldn't try to hurt me again. She's a better woman than you give her credit."

They share a pause.

"Tonight, then?"

He nods. "Tonight, Kagome."

A/N:

Previous: Lips

Next: Legacy


	233. Legacy

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Legacy

Lord Ryuujimaru examines his daughter's scars, scrutinizing each unflattering tear and every jagged rip. He checks her back first, then her face. She avoids his gaze, as piercing as the Miko's arrow. Lord Ryuujimaru hums.

"You will carry these scars for life, Kyoko."

She bows her head.

He observes her shame with cold eyes. "You are useless to me," he informs her solemnly. "Would that you could have a son; it's the only way you will carry on our legacy."

He pauses to leave her with one last word before he sweeps from the room.

"The braid in your hair is unflattering, Kyoko. Perhaps you should spend less time conspiring with that human and focus more on your appearance. It's hard enough to find you a suitable mate with your scars."

A/N:

Previous: Clandestine

Next: Ugly


	234. Ugly

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Ugly

Hisami spends the better part of her morning choosing a gown. Reina holds up different swatches of fabric next to her pale cheeks to compare colors, textures, and silks.

"No, no green," Hisami growls. "I _told_ you, Reina, only golds and reds! Put away all these ugly colors. I need to dress as a Queen."

"My Lady, you're not Inutaisho's Queen _yet_ ," her attendant gently informs her.

"I will be soon," Hisami snaps. "I love him so much; it's only a matter of time before he comes to love me as well. You saw the way he looked at me during the embroidery contest! He _must_ be thinking of me as much as I think of him."

Reina frowns, and wordlessly fetches gold fabric to dress her Lady.

A/N:

Previous: Legacy

Next: Apology


	235. Apology

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Apology

Kagome anticipates her meeting with Inutaisho that evening, but as confusing as her bubbling happiness and overwhelming guilt is, she knows there's someone she must speak with.

She finds Kaze with Buyo, tending to his mane and combing his curly coat. He light up when she walks inside. "Kagome!" he cries. "You're up early!"

She observes him quietly. "Kaze," she begins, "I need to tell you something."

He pauses, big smile frozen on his face. He turns back to Buyo. "He's getting big," he says. "We can take turns feeding him, if you want. I'd love to look after him when you're busy."

Kagome places her hand on his arm, steadying him. "Kaze," she whispers. "I'm here to tell you I'm sorry."

He doesn't move.

"Honestly," she sighs, "I did wonder for a while if I was Miroku's ancestor. I did think that, maybe if you married me, your family would avoid the Wind Tunnel. I know how it comes about, after all. I thought that, just maybe, _I'm_ the woman the witch told your parents about. That I'm the one who prevents the curse. But I can't be."

"I know." Kaze smiles wistfully. "I've known for a while. I thought I was ready to hear you say it, but…" He laughs nervously. "It still hurts."

She draws him into a long embrace, and pretends not to notice his tears. "I'm sorry, dear friend," Kagome sighs.

A/N:

Previous: Ugly

Next: Midnight


	236. Midnight

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Midnight

Kagome feels a somewhat morbid excitement bubbling up within her chest as she heads for the garden after dinner; her heart pounds endlessly against her ribs as she tries to still her breathing. Still, once among the petals and blooming primrose, she sees no Daiyoukai.

Where is he?

Her eyes are blocked. "Guess who?"

Her lips part into a smile. "Touga."

The General is before her, and his gentle hands brush a loose strand of black hair behind her ear. "Am I dreaming," he asks deeply, "that such a beautiful creature stands before me, before my hearth and my home?"

Her emotions swell; she lightly touches his hand and cups it to her cheek. "If you are, then I hope midnight lasts forever."

He taps her nose. "Come." As he leads her into the forest, she asks him where they are going, and he responds very quietly, "Hunting."

A/N:

Previous: Apology

Next: Hunt


	237. Hunt

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Hunt

Kagome is flattered and amazed; he made it clear to her from the first day that hunting is a matter of great secrecy. Part of her wonders if it's necessary.

"Do you hunt, Kagome?" he asks her as they walk hand-in-hand through the underbrush.

"I'm not very good," she admits sheepishly. "I used to hunt more, but..."

He nods in understanding. "Allow me to refresh you. The biggest difference between good hunters and bad hunters is the respect they award their kill."

In a flash, he vanishes, and she whirls around in time to see him gracefully take down a stag. It falls almost instantly, and he leads it gently into the grass. Kagome stumbles over, and kneels beside the kill. The stag is still alive, she realizes.

"Hush, O noble one," Inutaisho hums, stroking its neck with sweet ministrations. "Your sacrifice will never be forgot. Now be at peace."

The light goes out in its eyes. Kagome finds herself crying, and is shocked to witness Inutaisho cries as well, and it dawns on her why hunting is so sacred a secret.

"He has passed," the man rumbles, "that we might live on."

A/N:

Previous: Midnight

Next: Flamelight


	238. Flamelight

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Flamelight

Inutaisho repeats the ceremony for not just the stag, but for every bird, beast, and fish he adds to his bounty. He sheds tears for some, and not for others, but it's clear to her that the emotion and gratitude behind every kill is the same, from the largest deer, to the smallest squab.

They rest in the flamelight of a makeshift campfire, and Kagome snuggles close. His chest is wider than she remembers, and as warm as the flames that licks the darkness. He's so comfortable, before long she feels sleep tug her eyelids close.

"You're amazing," she says into their long but comfortable silence. "You felt so deeply for every creature you hunted."

"It's only natural," he says. "When something else must die so that you can live, is there a man alive who would ignore the debt he owes them?"

She thinks, fleetingly, of Naraku, long since passed. "Still, you're incredible."

He bends his lips to her forehead. "Sleep, My Diamond. You have nothing to fear from the dark."

She drifts off, thinking of jewels, stags, and home.

She dreams of Inuyasha.

A/N:

Previous: Hunt

Next: Intended


	239. Intended

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Intended

They return to the palace very early in the morning to avoid watching eyes; Kagome helps to bring in the smaller kills to the kitchen, then once the cooks are working hard on breakfast he bids her farewell.

"I will send for you soon," he says. "My advisors are hounding me to help them choose the next competition. There's only two left, and after that I can finally send everyone away and have my home to myself again!"

"What about the mating ceremony?" she asks without thought.

He pauses. "My Diamond," he begins, "Have you forgotten so soon how I feel? I would have no other, Kagome. I _want_ no other."

Understanding crashes into her like a car loaded with bricks. "Do you mean…I'm your intended?"

He smiles. "You are young. I will not burden you with lifelong commitment until you wish for it. For now, allow me to court you."

"You want to court me?"

"As a wave courts the shore," he vows.

A/N:

Previous: Flamelight

Next: Chains


	240. Chains

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Chains

When Kyoko catches wind of Kagome scent as she nears the dining hall, and she hurries to her friend's side to demand answers. "Where have you been?" Her eyes narrow. "You smell of the General." The demoness gasps dramatically, and several heads turn as they walk swiftly past. " _It cannot be_ -!"

"Shush!" Kagome glances around frantically. "What if someone hears you?!"

"My friend," Kyoko says solemnly, "My life savior, if this means what I think it means, I would shout it for all to hear!"

Kagome pauses, her brow knitting. "You're not angry?" she asks. "Aren't you trying to mate him?"

Kyoko thinks. "Do you see my scars on my face?" she asks. "Some would say they are chains, binding me to a life of loneliness. Like my father, some would have me believe that I am trapped with the markings forever. I choose to view my scars not as chains, Higurashi Kagome, but as what sets me free. I do not need an influential mate or an heir to carry on my legacy; I am my _own_ legacy. These marks have freed me."

Kagome gently takes her hand. "Kyoko…"

The demoness smirks. "Keep your Daiyoukai. I am the only one who can truly make me happy."

A/N:

Previous: Intended

Next: Resolve


	241. Resolve

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Resolve

Love is different than he expects.

Inutaisho once predicted bells, ringing, bursts of intense emotion, feelings that overwhelm his senses, and yet it's nothing like that at all.

He lies awake, deep into the night, exhausted from going over ideas with his advisors all day. His thoughts turn to Kagome, and instead of profound, earth-shattering epiphanies, he simply feels warm. He mulls over how she looked when she slept in his arms the night before, eyes darting around in dreams, cheeks flushed a pretty pink.

Pink really does suit her.

"I should like to see her happy," he mumbles as night overtakes him. He wants to show her how he feels, but with his discovery of love still so new, he hasn't a clue as to how he should go about it. Perhaps, he muses, he is still learning about her. Perhaps love needn't be fireworks and electricity.

Perhaps he can be content with feeling warm.

He resolves to wait and see.

A/N:

Previous: Chains

Next: Condolences


	242. Condolences

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Condolences

When Kagome wakes several days later, Hasatsu waits outside her door. He smiles largely at her and grips a wrapped parcel in his hands. "Good morning Lady Kagome!"

Kagome blinks. "Why, good morning, Hasatsu! How can I help you?"

The red-haired demon presents the package cheerfully. "This is from the General! He says his condolences on your loss."

 _My loss_?

"I wondered," he begins, "My little brother just returned from a long patrol, and he has invited several people to dine with him this afternoon. Can he count on your attendance?"

"I would be honored," she accepts. Hasatsu thanks her and takes his leave. She's left with the package in her hands, and carefully unwraps it.

It's a new kimono, the color of sakura blossoms. Among the folds of the fabric, there's a hastily-scrawled note: _Intended for dress only; do not use to bind wounds._

She can't help but giggle. Sorry for her loss, indeed.

A/N:

Previous: Resolve

Next: Host


	243. Host

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Host

Lunch is an awkward affair; Hasatsu's younger brother has invited several of Inutaisho's advisors as well as the General himself, and it seems they only want to speak to him about the theme of the next game. Masu is there as well, seated next to Lady Bou who is accompanied, as always, by her two bodyguards.

A very tall and very handsome youkai greets her when she arrives. "Lady Kagome! I'm so pleased you could make it!" He grins devilishly.

The young woman smiles politely. "Thank you, Lord…?"

"Junpei," he says. "I am your host today!"

She barely manages to keep her jaw from hitting the floor. " _You're_ Hasatsu's younger brother?!" she explodes. They look _nothing_ alike!

"Tried and true," Junpei confirms. "I've heard much of you – although I've never spoken to a human before, his Lordship swears by you, and I've heard you're involved in the games, now." He smirks. "Lovely kimono, by the way."

She shuffles awkwardly in her new gown. "Thank you."

Junpei beckons her forward. "Let us eat!"

A/N:

Previous: Condolences

Next: Whispers


	244. Whispers

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Whispers

Kagome sits between Masu and Lady Bou; Inutaisho and three of his advisors are at the head of the table, bickering quietly over their roast and ale. As she sits down, their eyes meet. She smiles. He nods, and his eyes are warm. Junpei doesn't seem much for conversation, and tucks in to his meal, occasionally saying something to his older brother. Masu leans over and purrs in her ear.

"I believe Inutaisho will announce the penultimate contest today. I look forward to competing with you again, Kagome."

She nods sheepishly. "Yeah, me too."

The demoness stares. "Kagome," she starts quietly, "Are you well?"

A chilling voice whispers in the back of her mind, and she blocks it out. Her smile is strained. "I'm well," she affirms. Sesshomaru's true mother pauses, reaches over, and pats her hand.

"If you struggle with anything," she offers in low tones, "Tell me. I shall do my best to help you."

All Kagome can say is, "I'm sorry, Masu."

A/N:

Previous: Host

Next: Misinformed


	245. Misinformed

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Misinformed

"Archery," Inutaisho announces. Kagome chokes on air. "In three days' time we will host the next competition, based on skill with bow and arrow. Are you quite all right?"

"Archery?!" she gasps.

He pats her back. "Before you assume, Kagome, _no_ , I did not pick it on purpose to give you an edge. It was my advisors' idea. Although I do admit I am excited to see your performance."

They steal a moment alone after lunch behind the stables; it's unnaturally cold for the first weeks of fall, and all his guests stay indoors. He takes her hand and breaths on it, warming her fingertips.

"You are exquisite today, My Lady."

She fiddles with the edge of her sleeve with her free hand. "Thank you. For this, too. It's lovely."

He stops. "For…this?

She blinks. "For the kimono,"

There's a very pregnant pause.

"I did not send it," he reveals.

She blanches, and suddenly her new warm gown makes her feel very, _very_ naked. "Then who did?"

A/N:

Previous: Whispers

Next: Jester

Hey guys : ) Just a quick note; there are a LOT of original characters in this story. Like, a ton. Seventeen, to be exact. Some are important (like Masu (she's kind of original…?)) while others are not (such as Hasatsu). Some you haven't even met yet (only one, actually). But I'm curious: do you have a favorite? There's a poll for my curiosity up on my page. You can select your two favorites if you choose. I'd love to hear your opinions!

Also, thanks to those who have given me much-needed advice for pacing and character development. I hear all your points, and am doing my best to address them so you can have a wholesome reading experience. Happy Holidays, and see you next week!

Pantan


	246. Jester

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Jester

"Is this from you?" Kagome asks her sullen friend as soon as she spots her among the other court ladies in grand apparel.

The dragoness narrows her eyes and scrutinizes, with much chagrin, the pink clothes. "Why would I send you such a thing?" she asks. After reading the note Kagome presents to her, she thinks and responds carefully. "Hasatsu the red-haired servant claims it was from the General…?"

"That's what he said," she affirms, and sits next to her, trying not to rip out her own hair in distress. "But he's never seen it before! I'm a little perplexed," she admits. "Creeped out, even. Is there…significance behind gifting clothes in youkai culture?"

"Depending," she murmurs. "Your secret admirer, as I would call him, is either a very bold man, indeed, or a very foolish jester." She snaps her fingers. "Have you asked his brother? He's said to have one of the best noses in the West, better even than your beau. If anyone can sniff this jester out, it would be him."

A/N:

Previous: Misinformed

Next: Struggle

Welcome back everyone! My winter break is over and I'm back at work. Thank you for your patience over the long holiday!


	247. Struggle

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Struggle

Inutaisho awaits his human outside the ladies quarters as she goes in to speak with Kyoko. He tries very hard to ignore the soft pattering of exchange, the mystery and intrigue of the strange kimono…

He sees her draped in pink when he closes his eyes, and the thought of someone directly involved with the priestess causes a slow rolling boil in his blood. And yet, he reminds himself, as far as anyone is concerned, Kagome is fair game. She's unmarked, unmated, and supposedly, unclaimed.

This thought gives him pause.

Could he claim her over his petty jealousy?

He loves her, it's true. More than he's ever loved a woman. Yet their bond is still so young, immature, a sapling. As unusual as dating with no strings attached is in the world of Daiyoukai, it is not unheard of. Inutaisho considers himself a gentleman; a human mating a demon is no small commitment for either party.

He wrestles with his instinct and what he knows is right, and as much as he wishes to find an immediate answer, before he settles the storm in his mind Kagome exits the ladies' quarters, determination in her eyes.

"Are you okay?" she asks, noticing his stony expression.

"I am well," he lies. "Where to next, My Lady?"

A/N:

Previous: Jester

Next: Skirmish


	248. Skirmish

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Skirmish

"My brother?" Inutaisho asks.

"Well, can you smell anything?"

He inhales the fabric, but all he gets is the sweet and salty scent of Kagome's skin cream. "It _is_ true Uchihiko has been a prodigy of sorts in the area of the nose," he grudgingly admits. "Unfortunately, he's back on patrol; a new soldier was hurt in a skirmish with a local human village and we needed a replacement."

"You mean he's gone?" she groans. "So soon?"

"I would send Junpei," Inutaisho sighs, "but he's been on duty for a long time. He only just returned. If you're desperate," he offers, "We could pursue Uchihiko. He left before dawn, and if we hurry we could catch him before he enters the south."

She bites her lip. "I don't know. Won't we inconvenience him?"

"Most likely," he admits. "My Diamond, if you wish to, you can always change and leave this investigation for another day. Uchihiko will be back before the next competition."

It's a solution for them both, and he prays she gives him time to settle his thoughts.

A/N:

Previous: Struggle

Next: Spider


	249. Spider

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Spider

She sheds the kimono with the fervor of brushing off an unwanted spider. It's heavy on her shoulders, constricting around her neck, and the claustrophobia creeps up on her till she can hardly breathe. Bare in the late sunlight, she inhales, feeling free.

There's no reason for someone to send her a gift in Inutaisho's name. She's upset no one.

Has she?

Kagome dresses in the simple but soft blue gown she chose with Masu and is immensely relieved. Yet, the creeping of wandering eyes, the warmth of suspicion, and the feeling of being watched stays. She sits on her futon, sinking into the plush comfort, and wraps her arms around herself.

Something isn't right.

A/N:

Previous: Skirmish

Next: Chilled


	250. Chilled

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Chilled

Hisami waits for her love in the one place she knows he will always return to, but she waits a long time. Amiya, the gardener, notices the shivering lady and tries to stick to tending her plants. Alas, as the night drags nearer and the chill in the air intensifies, there's little she can do to distract herself from the elephant in the room.

She takes off her own extra layer – not as fine as most of the royalty's, but very warm and sturdy – and approaches the figure of the bear sheepishly. "My Lady?" she begins, and the Daiyoukai turns to sharply meet her gaze. Amiya presents her ratted coat. "It's quite cold this evening, My Lady. Please, do take my coat; you look chilled to the bone!"

Hisami takes the heavy overcoat and promptly tears it in two. Amiya covers her gasp with flighty hands, her shoulders trembling in shock. "You dare offer me such drab protection?" Hisami hisses. "I will be your _Queen_ , servant. Fetch my shawl from my room if you wish to shield me from the cold."

The gardener turns and runs without another word, holding back her tears. Hisami watches her go, a triumphant smile curving her lips upward.

A/N:

Previous: Spider

Next: Twist


	251. Twist

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Twist

"I'm worried about Hisa," Kyoko admits quietly. Kagome peeks at her from behind her book, gently closes it, and sets it down on Tsubaki's bedside table.

"Why?" she asks.

Her audience leans in, and Kyoko casts her gaze at her feet. "She seems different," she divulges shyly. "We used to meet three times a week in the stables for horseback riding, but she wasn't there this morning."

"Do you think she's ill?" The wolf demoness asks.

"She's not ill. She was in her room. I asked her why she didn't come." There's a pause. "She told me riding with a disgraced Daiyoukai is beneath her."

Kagome can tell the words twist Kyoko's heart. "Why would she say such a thing?" Tsubaki frets. "You two are thick as thieves!"

Kyoko holds up her own book, turning a page. "I don't know. I only hope she isn't losing her mind to this silly competition."

A/N:

Previous: Chilled

Next: Boast


	252. Boast

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Boast

The days drag by with little consequence, fall rolling over the mountains and seeping into the valley silently, quietly. Uchihiko is due to arrive back the morning of the archery competition, and for all her worrying, practice with the people she has grown to love is the only thing that calms her worried heart.

With hours left until nightfall, she watches as Masu notches yet another arrow, draws the string back flush against her chest, and sends it barreling toward the target on the other end of open courtyard. It hits just left of the center; she exhales, disappointed, and passes the bow to Kyoko.

"Your turn," she says. "Perhaps you will have more luck than I."

"I don't think it matters _what_ we do, Masu," Kyoko jokes mischievously. "We'll both fall prey to Kagome's arrow."

Watching from the sidelines, Tsubaki perks up and asks, "Are you very talented with a bow?"

The young woman grins sheepishly. "I'm not bad," she boasts tenderly.

"I've seen your skill, Kagome," Masu reminds her. "You're better than _not bad_."

A/N:

Previous: Twist

Next: Artistic


	253. Artistic

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Artistic

"Still," Masu sighs, "If there's anyone to challenge you, my sister will do her very best to make up for her last defeat. And, of course," she grins, "I will do my best as well. Now that my father and mother know I am here, they'll make it a point to sit with a very good view of the field."

"I'm not aiming to win," Kagome shrugs. "I'll participate, but I feel like it would be quite a scandal if a human won a competition for youkai."

"Perhaps," Masu admits. "But if you win, you win. No need to sabotage yourself."

"I'd love to see your archery, Kagome," Tsubaki begs, tugging at her sleeve to pull her from her seat. "I'm no good at things like this, but you're strong _and_ artistic!"

She blushes. "Well," she begins, "Maybe I can teach you!" Kyoko wordlessly holds the bow to her, a smug smirk on her lips.

A/N:

Previous: Boast

Next: Lessons


	254. Lessons

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Lessons

Inutaisho watches from afar, observing. Listening.

He's noticed he seems to be an outsider often, where Kagome is concerned. He isn't the talkative sort in the first place, so watching suits him. He enjoys listening, because sometimes hearing her sweet voice is exhilarating, and seeing her happy is calming.

Sometimes being an observer is enough.

Her lessons with Tsubaki quickly turn into fits of giggles and dramatic poses while Masu leads them in a mock battle, in which an unwilling Kyoko is the beast. Masu falls at the dragoness's firmly crossed arms and fixed frown, and Kagome is the damsel in distress. Tsubaki draws back on air, and strikes Kyoko with fake weapons.

Masu insists that Kyoko is dead, and when she claims she wasn't playing in the first place, his friend takes the woman's hand and drags her into the dirt. The ladies shriek joyfully, and he smiles. How nice it is, he muses, that the woman he loves has found the friendship of so many.

She does have a presence about her, after all.

A/N:

Previous: Artistic

Next: Courage


	255. Courage

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Courage

After her bath Kagome returns to her room for the evening, only to come face to face with Inutaisho.

"Touga!" she cries, tightening the loose sash around her waist. Her surprise morphs slowly into a grin. "It's quite rude to enter a ladies' room uninvited," she informs him teasingly.

His eyes snap from her damp yukata to her face in a wink, and he turns sharply away. "Forgive me," he mumbles. "I did not realize you were returning from bathing."

 _He's such a gentleman_.

Inuyasha would never apologize like this, and she wasn't even naked. The thought heats her cheeks, and she clears her throat. "It's fine; just give me a moment to get dressed." Her courage comes from nowhere, and with Inutaisho barely a meter away, she dresses fearlessly in his presence. "I'm done," she says. "Thank you."

He pivots, pauses, and chokes out, "Kagome,"

"Yes?"

"May I…spend the night?"

She stares blankly.

A/N:

Previous: Lessons

Next: Cuddles


	256. Cuddles

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Cuddles

She'll admit to _no one_ that her imagination runs wild with the General's implications, because as it turns out, _she_ is the one with her mind in the gutter.

Inutaisho's chest pressing against her back is warm, and strangely enough she can feel his heart, each and every pulse, as his breathing quickens. His arm, draped protectively around her waist, is calmer than his heartbeat. She's almost embarrassed; they're spooning.

She lies awake for countless minutes, unsure of how much time is passing, but Inutaisho's breathing eventually slows, deepens, and rolls into rhythmic patterns. He holds her closer, dreaming of something.

Kagome rolls toward him as gently as she can and, reaching upward, places a chaste kiss to his forehead. Then, she too drifts off, safe and happy in his arms.

A/N:

Previous: Courage

Next: Proud


	257. Proud

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Proud

"My son," the Queen murmurs amongst the petals of the southern garden, "My time is nigh."

Breezes pick up, scattering handfuls of soft, red and white blossoms, the patterns swirling serendipitously around their feet. Touga looks away. "You'll get better," he vows reverently with an edge of desperation. "Father is trying everything to make you healthy again. There _has_ to be a way."

She smiles dimly, cupping his cheek with cold hands and tilting his head up to match their eyes. "Do not fear death," she cajoles like a whisper of wind across vast grasslands. "We live well thanks to the earth, and so to the earth we must return."

A pause.

"Touga," his mother sighs. "My sweet son. You and your brother are the reason for my existence. I am sorry to leave you before you find yours." But nature is an everlasting apology, and he tends the flowers daily to keep her memory alive. She would be proud.

A/N:

Previous: Cuddles

Next: Captive


	258. Captive

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Captive

Despite his mother's plea to accept partings, Inutaisho has only grown to fear them more. So, when he wakes in the early, chilled hours of the morning with a sleeping Kagome cuddled against his chest, he heaves an internal sigh of relief.

She's curious when she sleeps, he observes, taking in her fluttering eyelashes, lips faintly tracing words, and her warm cheeks. She's cute.

Moving a rouge strand of ebony hair from her face he murmurs, "Sleep without worry, My Lady. I will protect you." This dynamic is still so new; raw, almost. Kagome is, in a word, captivating. And to think if Masu had never expressed her concern for his lineage, they never would have met.

Finding a mate was mainly for the entertainment of the court; his Lordship never imagined himself the most captive member of the audience.

A/N:

Previous: Proud

Next: Age


	259. Age

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Age

A steaming miso soup waits for her in the morning, with grilled fish and a hot bowl of pearly rice. Kagome is impressed, and she and Inutaisho share breakfast in her room.

All is quiet for a long time. He enjoys the stillness; it makes his morning rather zen.

Kagome blurts suddenly, "How old are you, Touga?"

He chokes. "Pardon?"

"How old are you?"

"I am about to celebrate my seven hundred and twenty-sixth birthday," he discloses. "How old are you, Kagome?"

She blushes. "Nineteen?"

He freezes. "You are an infant."

"And you're an old man."

She cracks a smile first, and they laugh together. "I feel like a cradle-robber," he gasps between wheezing chuckles. " _Nineteen_." _Oh God._ Age is just a number.

Right?

A/N:

Previous: Captive

Next: Gossip


	260. Gossip

A/N: A tale told in drabbles. Five updates Mon-Friday, breaks on the weekends. Please read, review, and enjoy Lord Taisho's Bride-Procuring Extravaganza.

Gossip

Uchihiko has been delayed; the kimono is shoved underneath Kagome's futon, and she resolves to ignore it until the prince returns later that afternoon. He'll miss the competition, Inutaisho tells her, but at receiving his brother's note of urgent business he promises to arrive as soon as possible.

With the mystery out of reach for now, Kagome meets Kaze in front of her room so he can escort her to the competition.

"Morning, Dove," the monk sings, and they link arms. "Now, you didn't hear this from me, but a certain incorrect dog youkai spent all night yelling at a certain correct one, if you catch my drift…"

"What happened?" she gasps as they march toward the courtyard.

He shrugs. "I was only there for the latter half, but our Miss Momo was using some insults that were _not_ ladylike."

She bites her lip. "I hope Masu is okay."

"Believe me," he offers, "if anything, she's _more_ fired up."

A/N:

Previous: Age

Next: Strain


	261. Strain

A/N: A tale told in drabbles.

Strain

It's windy today.

Kagome bids Kaze farewell (he cannot sit with her, as he is not a participant), and she finds her friends at the edge of the courtyard, huddled against the breeze. Kyoko grips Masu's hand tightly and pats her back in comfort.

"Chin up," Kyoko snaps. "You are a demoness of fire; what are the insults of one malevolent bitch?"

"I am not weeping," Masu shoots back, and rips her hand out of Kyoko's grasp to pull her shiny black hair into a high ponytail. "I'm _angry_."

"Good morning," Kagome greets, and Tsubaki bows. "I hope you're ready to win today."

"Lady Masu is positively _enraged_ ," Tsubaki chimes in happily. "I don't think negative emotions are good for the body, but I think they can be channeled positively. Perhaps you or Lady Masu can beat Lady Momo today." There's a pause, she hesitates. "I…should like to see her lose."

They stare. "Tsubaki," Kyoko barks, "That is the first unkind word I've ever heard cross your lips. Well done! And toward our common enemy! What gives you such fire?"

She turns a delicate shade of pink. "She called Lord Hanzou a 'wild mutt'."

Masu grins. "We must all strive for victory, then. May the best bowwoman win!"

A/N:

Previous: Gossip

Next: Countenance

I am no longer sticking with a strict update schedule; it was turning this project more into a chore than something I enjoyed doing. Thank you for understanding!


	262. Countenance

A/N: A tale told in drabbles.

Countenance

There's a coarse wind in the air, sharp and cold, and Kagome shivers. Lady Bou, her two stoic body guards in tow, explains the rules of the competition in a loud, clear voice. They are to shoot in pairs, in sets of three. The demoness with the highest score moves on to the next round. Easy, Kagome thinks. The targets, dummies made of cloth on wooden posts, are at the opposite end of the field. The body is twenty points, the chest fifty, and the head one-hundred.

Momo is livid; the aura is rolling off her in waves, the miasma sticking in Kagome's throat, thick and sticky, making it hard to breathe. The stands are bursting at the seams today, and with only two games left before the Lord of the West is expected to announce his mate, no one dares miss a moment of the action. Like the Karuta competition, they draw straws.

Kagome is not matched with any of her friends, and none of her friends are matched with each other. As she lines up beside her opponent, last in the progression, she catches a glimpse of Hisami and balks. Her gown is _ludicrous_. There has to be at least thirty layers! Hisami doesn't seem to realize her countenance is off-putting, and is the first to shoot.

Touga spies her from his seat, grimaces.

Hisami wins all three rounds with a total of 150 points.

"We're in trouble," Kagome whispers, unable to take her eyes off the three arrows buried deep in the dummy's chest.

A/N:

Previous: Strain

Next: Sharp


	263. Sharp

A/N: A tale told in drabbles.

Sharp

Tsubaki, Masu, Momo, and Kyoko all win in turn, the wolf demoness scoring the lowest at forty points, and the dragoness scoring the highest at two hundred and twenty. There's a constant low murmur from the crowd, and despite the chilling breeze to cool them, the sun is hot and the day is long.

Kagome wipes sweat from her forehead with a white handkerchief and glances behind her at Hisami, who resembles a chilled glass of water left out for too long. She must be dying.

"Lady Sayuri: twenty points! Lady Asako: sixty points!"

She snaps from her daydream, watches as the attendants hurry to reset the dummies and retrieve the arrows. Three of them broke on the last round, and now it's Kagome's turn. In the stands, Inutaisho sits a little taller, and Kaze holds his breath.

The announcer, Hasatsu, gives her a kind smile. "The last set of the first round begins!"

She's handed a bow and three arrows, feels the sturdy wood under her hands, the rough ridges of the grip, and silky smooth of the string. They notch their arrows, aim. She exhales.

The fletching sails out of her grip, the path straight and true, and strikes the dummy in the head. The second lands next to the first, the third, not far behind.

"Lady Sakura: ninety points! Lady Kagome: three-hundred points!"

She beams; Kyoko cheers somewhere behind her and Inutaisho smiles behind his hands.

The second round begins and strong hands connect sharply with her back; she tumbles forward, catching herself with her palms. Rocks and dirt dig into her skin, and a sharp pain shoots up through her wrist.

"Learn your place," a voice hisses.

Kagome turns to see Hisami sneering down at her.

"Human," the bear demoness spits, venom in her words.

A/N:

Previous: Countenance

Next: Sight

Sorry chaps; I uploaded a chapter out of order, but it's fixed now.


	264. Sight

A/N: A tale told in drabbles.

Sight

"Hisami!"

Kyoko appears suddenly, swiftly, by Kagome's side and helps her to her feet. Her brow is furrowed and her teeth bared.

"What are you doing!?" she snarls.

Hisami snorts. "I'm pissed off. She came out of nowhere and started competing, stealing glory from _us_. This is supposed to be a competition for demonesses, so how _dare_ a pitiful human girl show us up? In front of her king?"

"Hisami! This isn't like you," Kyoko growls. "Why are you acting like this? You've changed!"

"No, _you've_ changed, Kyoko," she hisses, dropping formal speech. "You used to be a Lord's daughter, and now look at you! A damaged, human-loving bitch with less loyalty than a dog-" Kagome's slap is a sharp crack in the stillness, a shocking end to Hisami's malice. She knows it won't hurt her, but she's boiling. "You dare-?"

"How dare _you_?" Kagome bursts, and she ignores the pain in her wrist. "Kyoko is a more loyal friend than you've ever been to her! I won't just sit here are listen to you heap abuse where it is undeserved and unwarranted!" She sees red, can barely think straight. "You're the one that needs to reevaluate!"

Hisami's hand flies into the air, and Kagome wonders if the force of a slap from a strong Daiyoukai will break her neck, but the blow never comes.

"Stop this foolishness!" Inutaisho catches her hand, voice domineering, demanding.

"T-Touga!" Hisami cries.

His brow twitches. "Are we so close, Lady Hisami, that you may call me my given name without honorifics?"

She pales.

"You are disqualified for attacking a contestant."

"My Lord!"

"From all remaining competitions."

Hisami's eyes water.

Inutaisho releases her, and sweeps away, cloak ruffling in the wind. "Hasatsu, get her out of my sight."

A/N:

Previous: Sharp

Next: Wrist


	265. Wrist

A/N: A tale told in drabbles.

Wrist

Hisami rushes from the courtyard in tears. Kyoko's eyes are watery, too, and she rubs them with her sleeve.

Inutaisho returns to the stands, Hisami's mother glaring daggers at him as she rushes to follow her daughter. Kagome rubs her wrist. "I'm sorry," she whispers.

Kyoko snorts. "What for? I'm only sorry you can't hit her harder."

She rests a hand on Kyoko's back, and Kagome imagines the scars under her _hakama_ , chains she is free from. "I'm sorry."

She sniffs. "That bitch. Well, she got what she deserved. If she touches you again, I'll personally declare war between our clans. Can you imagine that? The South and the East at war? Not even she's stupid enough to incite that scale of violence."

Hasatsu approaches nervously. "Excuse me, the General would like to continue the game. Please take your bow and head to the back of the line, Lady Kagome, Lady Kyoko."

She sighs, scoops the bow off the ground, and winces. A white-hot stab of pain pulses in her right hand, and the bow thuds to the dirt.

"Kagome?"

"My wrist," she whispers, eyes wide. "My wrist…"

A/N:

Previous: Sight

Next: Disadvantage


	266. Disadvantage

A/N: A tale told in drabbles.

Disadvantage

It's stabbing, hot. She winces. How can it be this painful?

"Seems like the bear finally snapped," Masu murmurs, examining Kagome's hand, turning it over gently.

Tsubaki bites her lip. "I'm so surprised. I didn't think she had that sort of anger in her."

Kyoko doesn't look up from the ground. "You are too nice, Tsubaki. Everyone has that sort of darkness inside them."

"Do your best," Masu advises. "Your chances of being paired with one of us are high. It's unlikely your opponent will be Momo, but…"

They all glance to their left, where the woman in question stands, a fierce glare on her face. Hasatsu approaches with the straws. "Here you are, Ladies. Draw for the second round."

Kagome picks hers with her left hand, and breathes a heavy sigh of relief when she sees the length matches Tsubaki's. They smile at each other. Kyoko is paired with Masu, reminiscent of their Karuta match, and Momo is paired with Asako, the demoness Kagome doesn't know. She scored only sixty points during her round, and Momo, two-hundred. Asako pales.

Kagome holds the bow and uses two fingers to draw the string back, practicing. There's a stab, she flinches, and the string snaps. "Hasatsu," she calls, throat heavy, "I need a new bow."

A/N:

Previous: Wrist

Next: Nock


	267. Nock

A/N: A tale told in drabbles.

Nock

The new bow is heavier, but the string is sturdy. Kagome doesn't even breathe for fear of the pain; even the wind brushing her kimono against her hand is like pouring liquid flame over sensitive flesh. Tsubaki is worried, but waits beside her quietly.

The second round begins with Momo and Asako, and no one is shocked at the outcome; the dog demoness hits all three shots, one in the body, one in the chest, one dead-center in the head.

Hasatsu cries, "Lady Momo: one hundred and seventy points! Lady Asako: one hundred points!"

Asako scoffs, tosses her bow to the dirt, and joins the other suitors in the stands. Momo's lips curl up in a smug sneer, and as she passes her sister to wait for the next round, she roughly bumps her shoulder. Masu burns in rage. "Come, Kyoko," she snaps loudly. "Let us shoot."

Masu pulls the nock into the string and holds it very tight, her fingers white. Her eyes, redder than the sunset, narrow in concentration. Kyoko is just as focused.

They loose; both arrows land in the dummies' heads. The second, both in their chests. The third in the head again.

Kagome is so relieved that she sighs aloud. With both at two hundred points, neither will be disqualified. As she passes, Kyoko ruffles Kagome's hair. "Be careful," she murmurs. "Don't hurt yourself."

A/N:

Previous: Disadvantage

Next: Fibers


	268. Fibers

A/N: A tale told in drabbles.

Fibers

"Kagome?"

Tsubaki's voice is distant, but she smiles and responds, "I'm okay. It's just a little sore."

She bites her lips again, uncertainty apparent. "You know I'm not a very good shot," she whispers. "You're the best we have. Kyoko's good too, but… If this is too hard, if you're in pain-"

"I'm okay," she says again.

Tsubaki looks away. "Okay."

They step up, bows in hand, notch their arrows, and aim. Kagome winces, grips tighter, holds her breath. Tsubaki's lands just barely in the bounds of the chest; Kagome's misses entirely, and her hand throbs. Laughter bubbles up from the stands, and a few long moments pass before she understands the demons are _mocking_ her. Her eye catches Inutaisho's and she looks away before she can tell what face he's making.

She notches her second shot, teeth clenched. The arrow sails, cutting through the wind, and clatters against the courtyard wall. So does Tsubaki's. Kagome whips around to face her, and the wolf demoness smiles softly at her. "Lady Tsubaki," she murmurs.

"I missed," Tsubaki cheerfully lies. "You only need fifty points to move on. One hundred to make it to the semi-finals." She places a gentle hand on her shoulder. "You'll do you best, right?"

She fights back tears, overwhelmed by how much she loves her friends and by how much they, in turn, love her. Kagome scores one hundred points, the arrow buried so closely to the side of the head that the fibers split, and the jagged stone gleams in the sunlight.

A/N:

Previous: Nock

Next: Penultimate


	269. Penultimate

A/N: A tale told in drabbles.

Penultimate

Tsubaki sits beside Kaze in the stands and the two share a whispered conversation, though it doesn't take a genius to figure out whom they are speaking of, especially given their poorly disguised glances in her direction. The final round is approaching, and Kagome hopes Masu will have the chance to face off against her sister. Kyoko meets her eyes, nods; they share the same thought process.

If Masu fails to win, at least Kyoko, their best archer, will have a shot. As Hasatsu approaches with the straws, she says a silent prayer. _Please pair me with Kyoko. Please, please, please…_

Her straw is short. Very short. She compares with her friends immediately, but follows the slender fingers up the arm to see Masu as her opponent. They sigh in tandem. "You'll beat me," Kagome assures. "I'm practically handicapped."

She's conflicted. "I'm not as skilled as you with bow and arrow, my friend." She runs a hand through her long black hair. "Even if you are handicapped."

Kyoko curses under her breath and shoots a glare at their common enemy, who looks so smug it hurts. "Damn that woman," she hisses. "I'm a little better than her, but she's definitely been practicing. Masu, what would you have me do? I can strive for victory, or I can throw the game to give you a shot in the final round."

Her red eyes widen. "You would do that for me, Lady Kyoko?"

"I would do anything for a friend."

She thinks. "Do not abandon your desire to win for my sake," she decides, and pokes Kagome in the side, hard. " _Both_ of you. I would easily fall prey to your arrow if you were unhurt, Kagome, and your final shot in the last round proves you have great skill even injured. We will win this competition fairly. Do you hear me?"

She stretches out a hand, palm-side down, and grins. Kyoko places her own atop Masu's, and Kagome reaches out to touch both with her left. "We hear you," she agrees.

"Excellent," Masu purrs.

A/N:

Previous: Fibers

Next: Needles


	270. Needles

A/N: A tale told in drabbles.

Needles

Kagome and Masu are up first, and she tries to hide the tremor in her wrist, keeping her arms by her sides. They nod at each other, and Masu murmurs, "Your best, Kagome. I will not hold back, either."

They aim – as Kagome draws the string back her wrist pulses and a thousand needles rush up her arm, stabbing, ripping, pinching. She lets go with a cry and the arrow head buries in the dirt three meters from the dummy's feet. She ignores the laughter. Masu's arrow lands in the body, securing her twenty points.

"Kagome!"

"I flexed too quickly," she admits. "I'm okay. I promised you I'd fight seriously. Come on, everyone is watching. Let's finish!"

She is careful this time, slow. Her second shot hits the chest, and Masu's as well. The audience is abuzz, the tension mounting. Inutaisho is silent, and watches with his fingertips pressed gently against his lips. The last set she takes even longer; if Kagome imagines she's firing at low-level youki with Inuyasha by her side, the pain is barely a tingle. She notches, aims, hesitates. It strikes the head, bringing her total to one hundred-fifty, and Masu's lands in the body, her total at ninety points.

Masu tilts her head toward the sky and sighs, but glances at Kagome with a pained smile. "See?" she chuckles. "I _told_ you you're amazing. I'm better with a sword, though."

Masu sits by Inutaisho's side in the stands, and they exchange pleasantries. While Kyoko and Momo prepare for their last round before the finals, Hasatsu gingerly advances, a roll of linens in his hands. "Lady Kagome? The General asked me to bring you this wrap. For your hand?"

She looks up, and brown meets gold. Inutaisho smiles at her, nods. She smiles back. "Thank you, Hasatsu. Tell him I'm thankful."

The match begins.

A/N:

Previous: Penultimate

Next: Score


	271. Score

A/N: A tale told in drabbles.

Score

Kyoko clumsily braids the side of her short golden hair to keep the wind from blowing it into her eyes and glances back at her dark-haired friend. Hasatsu, the red-headed demon, assists her with wrapping her injured wrist. Kagome winces and the man exclaims his apologies for bumping it too hard.

"Dragon."

Her eyes snake to her opponent. "Have you words for me?"

Momo is beautiful; her hair is like silk and honey, the color of clean cotton, her eyes a dark yellow. Kyoko can't help but wonder if Masu looks similar, without the curse her family placed on her, and the thought makes her expression cold. Momo notices and glares. "I had hoped to compete against you in the final round. I'm disappointed my only competition will be a human girl with a broken hand."

Kyoko snorts, something only a month ago she would have thought out of her depth of emotion. "That human girl is a better archer than I, even with her injury. It's sore, not broken, anyway."

A delicate white brow rises. "Blind as well, are you?" Momo scoffs. "She can barely move her fingers. Can you imagine the force a fragile human body being shoved by a Daiyoukai at full strength, what kind of damage it would cause? I wonder where your head is – surely not with your wild bear, nor your mortal friend. Were you always such a poor judge of character, Lady Kyoko?"

Kyoko swallows the rage, packing it deep within her stomach, and the soft green glow of the six stars on her forehead subsides. She forces her fist to unclench around her bow before it snaps. "Perhaps you will allow me to even the score?" she hisses.

Momo smirks; they notch, aim, and fire, the audience holding their breath as the heads strike the dummies.

A/N:

Previous: Needles

Next: Inferior


	272. Inferior

A/N: A tale told in drabbles.

Inferior

Momo's arrow strikes the head.

Kyoko's strikes the body.

"Damn!" she hisses, and draws again, counting totals and points in her head, but she's so riled up, so angry, that her hand shakes, her vision blurs. Was this the bitch's goal? To make her lose her focus? She notches another arrow.

The only way Kyoko will win is if she makes two perfect shots, and Momo somehow misses. She says a silent prayer.

She hits the body again. Forty points. Momo hits the head; two hundred.

There's no way for her to win. Kyoko swears. "One last shot, My Lady," Momo taunts, drawing back on her string. "Or perhaps you'd like to forfeit? Save yourself the embarrassment? Lord Ryuujimaru is watching, after all."

Her sight snaps to the audience where her father sits, his eyes a piercing violet, hair greying at the temples, stroking his beard with a fixed frown on his angular face. She hadn't noticed him until now. Kyoko snarls loudly and Momo flinches, loosing her shot a moment too soon. It lands in the dummy's chest. She whirls around.

"You-!"

Kyoko's arrow hits her dummy's head with such force that it rips through the fabric and sand and propels out the other end. The audience is silent; everyone can hear the fine trickle of dust as the grains spill to the ground. "I don't care what tactics you use to upset me," Kyoko declares, knowing everyone will hear her, knowing _he_ will, too. She does not cower, but looks straight at her father, the sharpness of her stare the only thing she has inherited from him. "Thinking me inferior doesn't make it truth."

A/N:

Previous: Score

Next: Snake


	273. Snake

A/N: A tale told in drabbles.

Snake

"It's turning red!" Hasatsu exclaims. "Can you shoot with this hand?"

"I'll have to do my best," Kagome reluctantly assures. The bandage covers most of her palm and wrist, but the skin is angry, deepening in color every passing moment. Kyoko retreats to sit with Tsubaki and Kaze, and Momo waits patiently for the final round to begin.

She takes her bow and winces, tries wriggling her fingers, and cannot. Uh-oh.

Hasatsu seems entirely too nervous to be a neutral party, but clears his throat and makes an announcement anyway, with surprising clarity. "Lords and Ladies," he begins, "For the final set, our champion will be decided by an accumulation of points from previous rounds."

Whispers and murmurs break out amongst the crowd, some exclaiming confusion, disbelief, some counting aloud.

Hasatsu clears his throat again, this time theatrically. "As it stands, the totals are as follows: Lady Momo: six hundred-twenty points. Lady Kagome: five hundred-fifty points."

Her hand twitches.

She calculates numbers quickly in her head. If Momo has a perfect score, there's no way Kagome will win. She needs three hundred points. She _must_ have three hundred points, but with her hand like this, it's impossible. _Think, Kagome. You need a miracle. You have to win, for Masu. She's Lord Sesshomaru's mother. She's my friend._

"Good luck, Kagome," Momo purrs, but her voice isn't as smooth as her sister's, nowhere near as warm, as genuine. She's a like a snake in the grass, rearing up, ready to strike at any moment.

A/N:

Previous: Inferior

Next: Switch


	274. Switch

A/N: A tale told in drabbles.

Switch

At Hasatsu's insistence, Momo goes first. The final round will be the shortest, even if they shoot in tandem rather than simultaneously. She's confident, unagitated, and her first set earns her a perfect one hundred points, bringing her total up to seven hundred-twenty. Her lips curl, smug.

Kagome steps forward, heart beating wildly in her chest. Her hands are unsteady, slick with perspiration. The sun is much too hot, even for summer's end. She gently lifts the bow, nock of her arrow already flush against the drawstring, and pulls back. Her hand smarts.

 _This won't work. I can't get three hundred points like this. What do I do? What do I…?_

It's reckless; a dangerous idea, unlikely to work, but Kagome is desperate to win, and her fingers are too numb to properly curl around the string. But not her whole hand.

The bow lowers. There's a pause. Over the rigid still of silence, she hears someone whisper in the audience, "What is she doing?"

Kagome switches the bow to her injured hand, flips the fletching to her left, and aims once again, shifting her whole body so the tip of her arrow points directly at the target, breaths in, and lets go. It sails through the air, cutting through the breeze, and lodges dead center in the head.

The crowd erupts. Kagome can't help it; she pats a dumbfounded Momo on the shoulder and says sweetly, "Good luck, M'Lady!"

A/N:

Previous: Snake

Next: Triumph


	275. Triumph

A/N: A tale told in drabbles.

Triumph

Inutaisho hides his ridiculous grin behind his hands.

"You're not fooling anyone, My Lord," Masu breaths quietly, and he snaps to an impassive expression.

"I haven't a clue of your meaning, My Lady," he retorts, and she grimaces.

"Your lips will freeze that way if you're not careful." They pause to watch Kagome pat her opponent on the shoulder and chirp, "Good luck, M'Lady!"

They snort. "I can't handle her," Inutaisho admits, wiping a tear from his eye. Momo seethes, but manages to strike true on her turn. "It's nearly charming that she's forgotten the whole crowd can hear every word she says."

"Still," Masu adds as Kagome aims, again, with her left hand, "Who could have guessed one human girl had so much promise?"

"She is amazing," he agrees. They wait; Kagome shoots, and one again pulls off the impossible, earning another hundred points left-handed. Momo is enraged, her usual mask of indifference shattered to unveil an ugly, twisted sneer. Inutaisho stares. "You never told me about your family."

Masu stiffens.

"I could have been of some help to you."

"My Lord," Masu vows reverently, "You have helped me more than you can imagine. It is enough."

Momo, so affected by the miracle that seems to be unfurling before their eyes, draws back on her bow and shoots, but the arrow flies way off the mark, and she misses the dummy entirely. He does a quick tally in his head: if Kagome can secure another perfect shot, she wins. "My Lady," he rumbles, "You've been my advisor and my friend for these last hundred years. Forgive me if I feel there is more I can do."

Kagome aims her very last shot, and the tension is palpable, thick and heavy in the air.

"Then I have but one request."

The arrow flies, straight and true.

Masu smiles. "Allow yourself happiness."

Kagome wins by thirty points.

A/N:

Previous: Switch

Next: Tenseiga

Holy shit this is a long one, see you next time, dudes.


	276. Tenseiga

A/N: A tale told in drabbles.

Tenseiga

"You are imbecilic," Kyoko hisses, and Kagome winces at the sharp pressure in her wrist as her friend unwraps it in the clinic to check on the wound. "You won, excellent, but your hand is compromised. It's _oh-so_ impressive that you can hit an unmoving target with your non-dominant hand, but did you ever consider the consequences?!"

She grins sheepishly. "But we won!"

"Fool!"

The paper door slides open, and Inutaisho steps inside. His brow rises. "Madam," he greets, giving a small bow to Kyoko. His swords sway at his hip. "Thank you for tending to Kagome's wounds. I've need to speak with her. If you could reconvene another time?"

"Sometimes," Kyoko says dryly, "I feel that I am more Kagome's lover than you. It took you long enough to arrive." She ignores the red that blooms across Kagome's face and moves to the exit. She adds shortly, " _My Lord_ , _"_ and shuts the door with a _snap_.

Inutaisho clears his throat. "Lady Kyoko is aware, then?"

Kagome nods. "I couldn't have hidden it from her if I tried," she admits. Inutaisho steps forward to where Kagome stands, Tenseiga swaying by his side, and draws her into an embrace.

"You cannot begin to imagine how proud of you I am," he rumbles into her hair, inhaling the familiar scent, sweet salty, floral… Kagome clutches the back of his robes and closes her eyes. Inutaisho strokes the top of her head. "May I heal your hand, my Diamond?" he asks. "It's been long since Tenseiga has been put to good use."

A/N:

Previous: Triumph

Next: Standoffish


	277. Standoffish

A/N: A tale told in drabbles.

Standoffish

Inutaisho can see the injury, a crimson blemish on Kagome's otherwise porcelain skin. He shifts Tenseiga's hilt in his grip, considering, thinking. Kagome holds very still, and he is once again amazed by her, how calm she is, how brave she is. He slices downward, a shower of light carving the path of his blade. He cuts through the thick entity, and it bursts, dissipating into the air. Kagome exhales, winded.

"Wow!" she exclaims. "I know I've seen it before, but wow! I never knew that Tenseiga could heal _and_ bring back the dead!"

Surprised, he repeats, "Bring back the dead?"

His lover flushes. "Um, I…I heard it around…Can it not?"

He laughs. "Kagome, my dear, you never cease to amaze me! A sword that can raise the dead? If such a thing existed it would be coveted, indeed! No; Tenseiga can but heal. Small injuries. Sometimes larger ones. Are the rumors of my court so glorified among your kind?"

She laughs, a little nervous, and rubs her newly healed wrist. "Well, tales of your accomplishments are widespread. Who could have known that the enigmatic and standoffish Lord of the West had a soft spot for kidnapped priestesses?"

He sighs. "You were kidnapped, weren't you? I enjoy my time with you so much that I often forget Masu and my brother forced you into my service on pain of death."

She giggles. "Don't worry," She taps his nose lightly. "If I didn't want to be here I would have run away a _long_ time ago."

He grins. "How comforting."

A/N:

Previous: Tenseiga

Next: Shorn


	278. Shorn

A/N: A tale told in drabbles.

Shorn

Not an hour later they wait in Inutaisho's chambers, arguing over a confusing game of shogi, when there is a voice at the door.

"Brother, I came as soon as I heard you were looking for me. May I enter?"

Inutaisho leans back where he sits, a knee up, and Kagome is struck by how much he resembles his sons. "Uchihiko, come in."

The door slides open, and they balk; instead of the thin braid that dusts the ground as he walks, loose, straight strands of hair brush the tips of his shoulders. Shorn, only a fourth of the original length remains. His sharp red stripes peek from behind the curtain of hair, and his amber eyes glow in the dim light.

Inutaisho pauses. "Little brother," he begins, "Your hair!"

Uchihiko bows, the ends sweeping downward, barely long enough to graze his collarbone. "Forgive me," he murmurs. "I was involved with a rogue dragon youkai that had lost his mind; he was transformed into his original shape, crazed. It was as if he didn't understand me, like he was wild. He stank of miasma. My hair was damaged in battle. I had no choice but to cut it."

"A rogue dragon youkai?" Inutaisho asks, aghast. "Are you hurt?"

He places a hand over his heart and deepens his bow. "No, My Lord."

"Did he act alone?"

"I am uncertain. But you called for me…?" His eyes snake to where Kagome sits.

Touga looks as well, his brow deeply furrowed, worry creasing his face. Kagome grips the paper that holds the pink kimono. "We can discuss my problems later," she says. "This sounds _much_ more important."

"Soon, Kagome," he promises. "This matter cannot be ignored."

She leaves them alone, shutting the door behind her to block out the sound of their frantic whispers. Kagome relists the description of Uchihiko's attacker in her head and nearly drops the kimono. "Oh, no," she whispers.

A/N:

Previous: Standoffish

Next: Crazed


	279. Crazed

A/N: A tale told in drabbles.

Crazed

An hour passes, then two. Kagome paces in her room, running holes in the floor, but Inutaisho does not appear. She takes to pacing in the hallways; yet another hour passes with no sign of him. Soon she finds herself knocking on the door to Kaze's room, and he greets her with a surprised, "Is something the matter, Dove?"

"I don't know," she admits. "Can I come in?" He opens the door wide and she rushes in, overtaken by the scent of incense. A cushion lies in the center of the room, his staff laid out across his futon. "Am I interrupting your meditation?"

"It's not a problem," he insists, and shuts the door. "What's wrong? Is your hand bothering you?"

"It's healed," she replies absent-mindedly, holding it up.

He seizes it. "Wow, what kind of magic is this?! Are the rumors about the General's sword true?"

"Yes, but that's not the problem," Kagome insists, a wave of panic striking her with sudden force. She swallows to dissolve the lump in her throat. "Lord Uchihiko just got back from patrol. He was attacked by a crazed dragon youkai."

Kaze stills. "Is he hurt?"

"No," she whispers. "But I'm worried."

"Why, Dove? What's wrong?"

"The way he described it," she begins quietly, "it sounded just like the bear that attacked Kyoko and me."

A/N:

Previous: Shorn

Next: Enemy


	280. Enemy

A/N: A tale told in drabbles.

Enemy

They send a passing servant to fetch Kyoko, and twenty minutes later the dragon demoness opens the door to Kaze's room, a bitter frown on her face. "What is so urgent that you needed to pull me from my evening?" she snaps.

"Where did you find the bear from the hunting competition?" Kagome bursts.

Kyoko pauses. "Dear Kagome," she begins, "if you are still angry about me attacking you, I can assure you the thought is completely gone from my mind. I would now rather die than lay a hand on you-"

"But you said someone gave you the bear," she interrupts. "It was rabid! It nearly killed you, you know! My cuts only just healed. Who was it?"

Kyoko leans against the door. "I do not know. I was in the woods south of here, training, and they approached me. They were cloaked; their face was hidden. It was a male voice. I believe he had some sort of barrier up – I couldn't even catch his scent. He told me that if I was to borrow his creature, it would aid me in taking you out of the competition. I'm ashamed that I trusted the word of a stranger. I'm ashamed that I tried to hurt you, Kagome."

"Kyoko," she murmurs, reaching for her hand, "You know I forgive you, unconditionally. I'm not bringing this up to hurt you. I'm bringing it up because I think something strange is happening."

Kaze explains, "We think the bear might have been a demon."

She pales. "What?"

"Lord Uchihiko was attacked on patrol by a dragon youkai, transformed," Kagome says. "It was like he was describing the bear; out of his mind, wouldn't listen to reason, angry, and encased in miasma."

"My God," Kyoko whispers. "You think this stranger I met is trying to hurt us? I couldn't even get his scent! I wouldn't be able to pick him out of a crowd if I tried."

Kagome bites her lip. "I…I think he may be doing it because of me."

There's a heavy pause.

"It happened such a long time ago I nearly forgot, but…" She breaths in. "Someone saw me. Holding hands." She blushes. "With Touga. It was after the haiku competition. He didn't have a scent, and he was gone before we could catch him. It might be the same person."

"Then you're in danger," Kyoko exclaims. "Whoever it is, they must not be happy about Lord Taisho falling for a human."

"That's what I'm afraid of," Kaze admits. "It would seem you have an enemy."

They fall into a silence so thick, no one dares breathe a word.

A/N:

Previous: Crazed

Next: Insurgent


	281. Insurgent

A/N: A tale told in drabbles.

Insurgent

Inutaisho stares down at the dead dragon in dismay. It has only been several hours but already the sun has made the flesh rank, carrion in its most carnal form. The deep canyon is bursting with the stench of decay. By his side, Uchihiko stands silently. Junpei exhales sharply and whistles low, waving his hand under his nose to dissipate the fetor.

"This rate of decay is certainly abnormal," the tall demon postulates. "Lord Uchi, how did you manage to take down such a rabid beast by yourself?"

Uchihiko dips his head in a small bow. "Luck and training."

Junpei whistles again. "Fuck," he announces, "The poor bastard is _huge_."

"Hnn."

"You say he would not be calmed?" Inutaisho questions softly, observing the red gashes deep in the dragon's flesh.

"He was enraged," Uchihiko explains. "Not a word I said reached him."

Junpei runs a hand through his fire-red hair and sighs. "This is concerning," he acknowledges. "Do you recognize him? I never ran into anything like this while on my patrol. To have such a rabid creature, out of his mind, and so close to the Western Palace…"

"His name is Moronaga," Inutaisho injects sourly. "I met him once at a council meeting with Father when I was a boy. He was Lord Ryuujimaru's advisor at the time."

"Do you think he was planning to attack as an insurgent?" Junpei asks.

"This action lacks the drive and precision a revolution requires," he offers. "No; I think something else is afoot."

A/N:

Previous: Enemy

Next: Canyon

Junpei is Hasatsu's little bro, as a quick reminder ;)


	282. Canyon

A/N: A tale told in drabbles.

Canyon

In life, Moronaga was the skittish, ill-mannered father of Lord Ryuujimaru's closest friend. He'd served as advisor to the Lady of the South, who gave up her duties to her mate as soon as she gave birth to their only daughter. Ryuujimaru and Moronaga did not get along, and in a few short decades he was dismissed from his position, banished from the South indefinitely.

The circumstances surrounding his death are puzzling, indeed. Lord Taisho scratches his head as they observe the body, all the while listening to the captain of his guard run his mouth.

"Okay, but," Junpei starts, "It's strange that a banished demon is showing his face in the first place, and if he's here in the West then the only plausible explanation is that he was here to see Lord Ryuujimaru. Don't you think, General?"

Inutaisho thinks hard and says nothing.

"Why now? If he's come for revenge, he could have struck the Southern Palace at any time he wished. To attack during a feast is just…Risky."

"I do not think," Uchihiko interrupts, "he had a plan."

"What could possibly cause a demon to lose his mind?" Inutaisho wonders aloud. The canyon is deep and large, and his quiet question is magnified by the echo. "Junpei, have you any clue?"

He shake his head. "Not one."

Touga pauses. "I know someone who might."

A/N:

Previous: Insurgent

Next: Glade


	283. Glade

A/N: A tale told in drabbles.

Glade

After a restless night and most of an uneasy morning, Uchihiko appears at Kagome's door with a mission. "My brother has asked that I fetch you," he says.

She frowns. "Is everything okay?"

"He said he would feel more at ease if you were to accompany him."

Kagome tilts her head. "Where is he going?"

"To see an acquaintance. He will be gone for several days. If you've any business to attend to, please see to it now."

She gathers up a small pack of essentials, bids her friends farewell, and follows Uchihiko outside and into the garden in under thirty minutes. Fall is very close, and she shivers in the chilly breeze.

The demon extends his arms, and she stares. "Unless you'd rather walk," he offers humorlessly. "It's a three day journey for human feet."

Climbing into Uchihiko's arms is awkward and embarrassing, much like their first meeting at Bone-Eater's Well, but if he is displeased by the arrangement he shows no sign of it, and a terribly silent hour later, they are deep in the forest, where autumn has begun to touch the leaves. They land in a glade and she tumbles to her feet. Inutaisho stands by a very, very tall, ancient trunk, with Junpei at his side.

"My Lord," she calls, and he turns.

"Kagome," he greets. "Come closer; I've someone I'd like for you to meet."

A/N:

Previous: Canyon

Next: Bokuseno


	284. Bokuseno

A/N: A tale told in drabbles.

Bokuseno

The face in the tree is like an ancient mask, wise, but frightening. It regards her kindly, and when the wooden lips part, an archaic and calm voice rumbles from within the bark. "You are Kagome?"

She nods.

"Come closer, child," the tree beckons. "I can feel your energy from here; you are strong, aren't you? Stronger than you may first appear. Ah, but appearances are often deceiving."

Uchihiko and Junpei retreat to the back of the glade, and Touga holds out his hand with a smile. "Don't be afraid, my Diamond," he comforts, and she takes his hand in hers. "This is Bokuseno, my oldest friend, and father of Goshinboku."

"Our sapling?" she whispers, and for a moment the image of Inuyasha, asleep and pinned to the tree, flashes in her mind.

He looks amused. "You remember my apology, then. Keh. I'm pleased."

The face gazes at her, unblinking, and Bokuseno rumbles, "There's something special about you, isn't there, Kagome? You are out of time…lost…in the wrong place…and yet I sense you have work yet to do."

She's unnerved. Inutaisho squeezes her hand. "Do not mind him. I've brought you here not to have your fortune read, but because there is something odd happening."

The news she has is dragged out into the light. "Oh, that's right! Touga, I think something made that youkai attack your brother! I don't know what, but I think the bear from the competition had the same ailment." Kagome expressed her fear in the urgency of her voice. "Something is making them go insane."

A/N:

Previous: Glade

Next: Relic


	285. Relic

A/N: A tale told in drabbles.

Relic

He places a finger to her lips, gently, softly. "I know," he reveals kindly. "When I saw the dragon that attacked my brother, I realized the similarities to the bear from the forest right away. I should have known you were clever enough to piece it together, as well."

"Then," she says, "do you think someone is doing this? Intentionally?"

He thinks. "I believe the bear was a deliberate attempt to hurt you," he admonishes. "I do not know if the dragon was also directed at you. We won't know ever, perhaps, but thankfully because Uchihiko managed to apprehend him before he reached the palace. I do think there is a pattern, though, Kagome. I think someone is angry."

Bokuseno hums. "Touga," he begins solemnly, "I believe I know of what kind of magic can cause a mind to cloud, to attack blindly. A magic that can make even a great man lose to his lust for power."

Something pricks at the back of her mind; persistent, sharp. Touga says, "Well what is it?"

"An ancient relic," Bokuseno announces, and the words feel like a confession, a secret that has been long-kept. "It was long ago born from a perfect balance of Naohi: _Aramitama_ , _Nigimitama_ , _Kushimitama_ , and _Sakimitama_. When pure, it holds unimaginable power. And when corrupted, the power is devastating."

Her mouth is dry; she cannot speak.

"It is known," Bokuseno begins, "As the _Shikon no Tama_."

A/N:

Previous: Bokuseno

Next: Midoriko


End file.
